Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge use of information contained in The Parkinson’s Disease Society (UK) information sheet ‘Eating, Swallowing and saliva control in Parkinson’s '.
Our thanks also to Julia Johnson for her help in reviewing this article.
Normally we produce around one litre of saliva each day, which is swallowed without even thinking about it. But because swallowing is a motor function, and Parkinson’s causes rigidity and bradykinesia, this spontaneous mechanism can be disrupted as the muscles in the throat, tongue and mouth weaken. Saliva then builds up in the mouth and, as the muscles which tightly seal the lips also become weaker, the risk of the saliva escaping is increased.
Also the stooped posture that is typical of Parkinson’s, with the head bent forwards and the chin pointing down, can be a contributory factor as this causes saliva to accumulate at the front of the mouth where it can easily dribble out.
Excessive saliva and drooling occurs in 50-80% of people with Parkinson’s and is more common in men than women with the disease1.
Stiffness of the limbs, joints or body that make movement and bending difficult.
Bradykinesia describes the slow execution of movement and impaired ability to adjust the body's position.
The word bradykinesia is derived from the Greek roots: bradys(slow) and kinesis(movement).
Having to do with the movement of a part of the body.
