Diagnosis:

After you describe your symptoms, the doctor will review your medical history, smoking history, current medications and diet. The doctor also may ask whether you:

• Have recently been hospitalized for surgery, because decreased intake of food and liquids after surgery can increase the risk of salivary gland stones and infections
• Have ever received radiation treatments for cancer of the head or neck
• Were ever diagnosed with mumps or immunized against mumps
• Have recently been exposed to anyone with the flu or another viral illness
• Have any autoimmune condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis

Next, your doctor will examine your head and neck, including the area inside your mouth. The doctor will press gently on areas of your cheeks and jaw to feel for lumps, areas of tenderness and salivary gland stones. Then, depending on your symptoms, history and physical findings, the doctor may order one or more of the following tests:

• X-rays to detect salivary gland stones
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans to check for tumors and for stones that are not visible on X-rays
• A fine-needle aspiration (using a thin needle to remove cells from the salivary gland) to determine whether a tumor is cancerous
• Sialography, in which dye is injected into the gland's duct so that the pathways of saliva flow can be seen
• Blood tests to measure antibodies against specific viral infections or autoantibodies for Sjgren's syndrome
• A salivary gland biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue) to diagnose a cyst, tumor, or Sjgren's syndrome
• A salivary function test to help diagnose Sjogren's syndrome
• Blood tests to check for nutritional or hormonal problems that can cause sialadenosis
• Special eye tests to look for evidence of Sjogren's syndrome