clinical anatomy: head and neck Why inflammatory parotid swelling are very painful?

 Why inflammatory parotid swelling are very painful?

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The inflammatory swelling of the parotid gland can be very painful due to several factors:

Parotid Fascia's Unyielding Nature: The gland is surrounded by a dense connective tissue known as the parotid fascia, which is not easily stretched, so the gland fails to swell during inflammation.

Nerve Stimulation: The parotid gland capsule receives sensory innervation from the great auricular nerve, which is stretched due to parotid gland enlargement by inflammation.

Increased pressure on the parotid gland during mealtime:

During mealtime, more saliva is produced, which increases the pressure inside the parotid gland, stretches the gland capsule, stimulates nerves, and makes the patient  feel worse.
Pain relief after meals: after meals, parotid secretion comes out into the oral cavity,  pressure within the gland reduces, the capsule of the gland is not stretched, and there is no sensory stimulation, and patients may feel relief.