Leung A K, Kao C P
Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary;
Paediatr Child Health. 1999 Sep;4(6):406-11. doi: 10.1093/pch/4.6.406.
Although drooling may occur in healthy children under two years of age, it is commonly observed in neurologically impaired children and carries a considerable social stigma. Drooling can be socially embarrassing, and at times may cause serious medical complications. Drooling may result from the hypersecretion of saliva or, more commonly, the impairment of swallowing. Most of the causes of drooling can be diagnosed from a history and physical examination of the patient. Laboratory investigations are usually unnecessary. Treatment should be directed at the underlying cause whenever possible. No active management is necessary for patients who have little functional and psychological impairment from their objectively mild or intermittent drooling. Treatment options for moderate and severe drooling include physiotherapy, behavioural or biofeedback modification, pharmacotherapy and surgery.
虽然流口水可能发生在两岁以下的健康儿童中，但在神经功能受损的儿童中更为常见，且会带来相当大的社会污名。流口水会在社交场合令人尴尬，有时还可能导致严重的医学并发症。流口水可能是由于唾液分泌过多引起的，或者更常见的是吞咽功能受损所致。大多数流口水的病因可通过对患者的病史和体格检查来诊断。通常无需进行实验室检查。只要有可能，治疗应针对潜在病因。对于客观上轻度或间歇性流口水但功能和心理损害较小的患者，无需积极处理。中度和重度流口水的治疗选择包括物理治疗、行为或生物反馈矫正、药物治疗和手术。
