Have You Met Your Parotid Glands?

Back when I was young and hanging out in the back yard at home, there came a day when I had a lot of pain in my neck and jaw and I couldn't figure out what was wrong until the dreaded word was uttered ... mumps!  Back then if you had something contagious like mumps, measles or chickenpox, everyone in the neighborhood would bring their kids over to play so they would get it too and get it over with.  That was my first encounter with my parotid glands. Your parotid glands sit just behind your lower jawline and under the ears.  They are technically salivary glands, but they secrete more than just lubricating saliva.  They secrete the first step in digesting starchy carbohydrates and they also secrete lysosomes which are part of our immunity.  For this reason they also are strongly tied to the lymph system with their own series of nodes that filter the lymphatic fluid from the parotid glands.

Now I can't count the throngs of people that come in with TMJ, headaches, chronic sinus issues, tinnitus, chronic ear infections and even thyroid problems, and in every case the only area that is tender to the touch is .... drum roll please ... you guessed it, the parotid glands.  They swell quite easily and can really put pressure on the ear canal causing those irritating noises and ringing sounds.  They can be affected by everything from jaw tension to frequent cell phone use.  Adam Yauch, of Beastie boys fame, died of a parotid gland tumor that he was certain evolved from his non-stop cell phone use.  Think of anything you do that puts pressure on your parotid gland area and you may have hit on the reason for many of your symptoms.  

So take a moment and poke around behind your jaw.  Is it sensitive?  Does one side look swollen compared to the other side?  Do you have the sensation of something in your throat when you swallow or an ache when you open your jaw wide?  It’s very common for parotid inflammation to be mistaken for TMJ or to even go so far as to surgically alter the alignment of the jaw, when all that was needed was some therapy for the parotid glands.  When they are subjected to pressure on a regular basis then it makes it difficult for the lymphatic fluid to cleanse the parotid glands and for the glands to release their essential liquids into the mouth with saliva.  

Have you noticed a dry mouth?  I bet you the reason is an issue with your parotid glands.  So come and get your parotid glands checked out.  You might be amazed at how a little parotid therapy can change everything!