Choking on saliva can be caused by excessive saliva production, throat and swallowing problems, and neurological disorders. Infrequent choking is usually not a concern, but frequent or intense episodes may require medical attention to find a solution. Dietary changes or medication may help with excessive saliva production, while throat injuries, tumors, and neurological diseases can cause more serious issues. Seeking medical help can lead to a diagnosis and treatment, improving prognosis and ruling out more severe conditions.
The most common causes of saliva choking are excessive saliva production, certain throat and swallowing problems, and neurological disorders that can cause numbness or temporary paralysis of the muscles that normally regulate swallowing. It’s not uncommon for people to choke on their own saliva from time to time, and in most cases this isn’t a big deal. Infrequent choking episodes could be caused by something as simple as talking too fast or moving your head too fast while trying to swallow. Gagging and choking are usually something people should be concerned about when it seems to happen often, or when the attacks seem to get more intense. A medical checkup can often help people in this category get to the root of the problem and find a solution before things get worse.
Excessive production of saliva
Saliva’s main purpose is to aid in food digestion and preliminary breakdown, and it is produced by the salivary glands. Humans typically have three major glands of this type; one is found under the tongue, one is inside the jaw, and the largest is just above the throat. Ideally, each produces saliva in response to certain environmental triggers. However, sometimes signals can be misread or interpreted, which can lead to overproduction.
When one or more glands produce too much fluid, they can create more than a person can easily get out with a normal swallow. As a result, saliva often builds up in the back of the mouth and can cause gagging or choking. These effects are often most pronounced when lying down, but can strike at any time. Overproduction problems can sometimes be tamed by dietary changes, but medications may also be needed to bring things back into balance.
Throat and swallowing problems
A number of medical problems with the throat could also be to blame, as these often affect the quality or frequency with which a person is able to swallow. Throat injuries, tumors, and severe arthritis are among the most common. The severity will depend on the severity of the condition. Reflux-related lesions can often heal on their own after some time once the condition has been treated, but throat cancer or tumors are much more difficult to treat and tend to get worse over time. Those with large tumors may experience tightness in the throat and breathing may eventually become more difficult.
People may also find themselves choking or gagging due to some sort of injury to the throat or esophagus. Choking in these cases is usually an early indication that something is wrong, but it’s just one of many symptoms. Pain, bleeding, heartburn, and coughing are also often present.
Neurological disorders
Some more serious illnesses can also lead to swallowing problems and choking on saliva. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one example. ALS is a fatal neurological disease that affects a person’s ability to use certain muscle systems. When nerves die, the ability to perform basic bodily functions or movements becomes impossible. The inability to swallow is usually a later symptom of the disease, and choking on saliva becomes a very real possibility during this stage. The use of suction devices to clear the throat of excess is often necessary on an ongoing basis.
Inability
Choking is also a more serious risk among heavy drinkers. Alcohol can slow down the body’s response time, and drinking to incompetence often causes people to do things like wet themselves and swallow their own vomit. A person who loses consciousness in this state in a position where saliva can pool in the throat — spread out on a sofa with head tilted back, for example — may choke on saliva, particularly if they are prone to produce more than needed in the first place.
When to ask for help
Almost everyone chokes or coughs on their own saliva at some point in their lives. This is usually not indicative of any medical condition and is often just the result of forgetting to swallow often enough or talking too fast. When it only occasionally occurs in this way, there is no cause for concern and a doctor’s advice is not usually required.
Most experts recommend that people be evaluated when they have noticed symptoms for a long time or in cases where choking or gagging is almost constant or otherwise interferes with daily life. Getting a diagnosis can lead to treatment, and with luck, the problem will go away. It’s also the best way to rule out more serious conditions. Identifying things like ALS and throat cancer early can improve the prognosis and may even be able to delay or eliminate later, more severe symptoms.
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