Parotid/salivary gland swelling and pain

I don’t have that particular issue, but noticed you have LC for 3 years…..did you have any taste issues?

In Dec. 2020 hubby had body aches so we both got tested; I only lost taste and smell but months later I got some long haul symptoms but they’re manageable compared to majority of long haulers; taste may still be off a little but can smell everything; have read more women than men lose taste and smell.

@trnrmom1, My husband has had some episodes of swelling in his jaw as you have described. The only pain he has felt is when he would rub it. It comes on suddenly, usually when eating. The doctors say it ia a blocked parotid/salivary gland. They told him to suck on sour hard candy to produce more saliva that pushes out the blockage. First time this happened, we were in Wash DC for a wedding, and went to the ER. It was not easy to find a store that carried sour lemon drops, so now we keep them on hand and pack them when we travel. It does not last long.
Several more episodes over the years, have sent him to see the Ear Nose Throat specialist who said the same thing. But the doctor added that if it got infected, surgery might be an option.

His is not related to Covid, He does not have an impaired immune system.

Denise: I am almost 2 years into this long covid battle. At around the 10 month mark I decided to try upping dietary anti-inflammatories and was consuming (along with various nutraceuticals such as CoEQ10, NAC, etc) a lot of turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon daily. I, too, developed little bumps in my mouth and swelling and pain under my jaw. I saw a dentist who linked the problem to the increased intake of the above mentioned spices. I cut back on the amount I consumed daily and the problem slowly disappeared. Hope this helps.

i take a lot of supplements and 2 antihistamines for the lovely food allergies i've taken on since being a long hauler. i'm part of the group on f/b called survivor corps which has thousands of l.h. posting about their symptoms, what supplements they take, etc. and i've gotten more info from those people walking in my shoes than the 3 specialists i saw early on. i'm much improved and my symptoms aren't nearly as bad as the majority of l.h. but wonder if this virus ever leaves our body and we heal completely. my parotid inflammation always resolves with antibiotics. thanks for your input.

I experienced this a few months ago (also on the right side of my face). I was prescribed an antibiotic and it cleared. I am just over 3 years long covid. I’ve seen mention of this on other long covid sites.

Hi. I have the exact same thing going on. ENT told me to get sugar free lemon drops too. I have yet to find them but I've used straight lemon juice and other sour candies but apparently that doesn't work. Did your husband have an ultra sound or ct scan? I've had both. They could not see any blockage. So I still don't know what the cause is but it gets huge (right side only) when I eat. I'm female 54yo.

Hi, @mikkimcc. You have perfect timing! - I just now opened my computer ans saw your response which I also see is your first post on Connect. And so I want to extend my Welcome to you!
I agree that lemon drops are difficult to nearly impossible to find. My hubby was not restricted to sugar-free, but I did find some regular ones at the checkout area of the nearby chain pharmacy. My neighborhood pharmacy has a selection of sugar-free cough drops, and I think that a place like that moght be able/willing to order them for you. Might be worth a try.
My husband did not have an ultra sound (yet) because it has always resolved with the lemon drops. The ENT did say that he should come to the office when the swelling/blockage occurred and of course that never happens during office hours! If the blockage continued to occur, he would want to do an ultra sound (during the swelling) to decide if a surgery would be needed. ENT said he preferred to avoid surgery, and as long as it was resolved with the lemon drops to stick with that treatment.
So far, hubby has not had any swelling for a long time.

@mikkimcc, Does this occur very often for you?

Hi and thank you. It happens every single time I eat. It eventually goes back down but it's just weird because it started happening out of the blue. There's no pain but **something** has to be causing it. I only noticed it because I happened to look in the mirror one day and I was like WHOA! WHAT IS THAT?!!
I do have a tooth that's kind of located right above the gland that had a root canal & I lost the cap/crown so maybe that has infection in it. I need a dentist but can't afford a replacement crown.
I don't know. What are your thoughts? Thanks again for welcoming me, your quick response and reading all of my ramblings.
Sincerely.

I have had Long COVID for over 3 years. I have Sjogren's Syndrome that causes the symptoms you stated about your glands and facial swelling. In addition to pain and swelling my teeth started falling out. I had to have 2 oral surgeries last month. I suggest that you have a biopsy of your salivary glands to get tested for Sjogren's Syndrome. I would not recommend relying on the blood test for accurate results. Sjogren's can impact other areas of your body. Johns Hopkins is seeing their long COVID patients with POTS also being diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome. I have POTS. No idea why we are getting both. Good Luck. Take care of yourself and err on the side of caution when you start having any new symptoms.