Will, I think you make a very good point. As Camilla Flinterman's
signature says "when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything
looks like a nail." When health professionals deal with PD, we tend to
ascribe all problems to the PD. And when a PWP reports drooling, we (I)
immediately assume the person is just not swallowing as often.
You're quite right when you state that mental processes affect saliva
production, and doubtless this varies a great deal among individuals.
I'm going to bear this in mind from now on, especially with regard to
people who have had pallidotomies.
Thanks for elucidating this point -- I learn something new every day,
thanks to all the good people here.
Best regards,
Kathrynne
"Will A. Kuipers" wrote:
>
> Bonnie Cunningham makes a strong case for the prevalent opinion that excess
> saliva is caused by less swallowing. I appreciate her effort.
>
> I would like to clear up a point.
> If I may quote myself:
>
> >I have known several PWP's, who had undergone palidotomies and developed
> >excessive saliva production as an aftereffect of the operation, along with
> >speech and swallowing problems.
>
> The swallowing problems I refer to are those in which food, instead of going
> down the
> esophagus, goes down the breathing passages.
> This was the case in one of those I mentioned. It led to pneumonia and
> untimely
> death of the PWP involved.
> There was no difficulty swallowing saliva. The flow was simply overpowering,
> as it is in others I have seen. One of those is solving the problem by
> carrying small towels along.
>
> Saliva production can vary strongly. It can be influenced by mental
> processes as it
> was in my own case with the dentist. Thinking about delicious food can "set
> the juices
> flowing". Where else would this expression come from?
> For myself, I remain convinced that there could well be a connection with
> the speech problems that are often associated with the palidotomy procedure
> and
> the abnormal flow of saliva. In other words, the operation which affected
> speech,
> also affected the control of the saliva glands.
> The simple solution of less swallowing is too easy for me and does not agree
> with
> my observations.
>
> Will A. Kuipers Dallas, Texas 78 / 72 / 71
> <[log in to unmask]>
--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
Medical nutrition therapy
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/
"We are living in a world today where
lemonade is made from artificial flavors and
furniture polish is made from real lemons." --Alfred E. Newman
