The tongue in the throat has enlarged and touches the root of the tongue - what to do, how to treat

What is the tongue silent about? Yes, yes, today we will tell you about a small conical-shaped process that hangs over the root of the tongue. Why, in fact, about him? This topic was prompted by a question from one of the patients: “why is it needed, this tongue?” And we thought, why not tell us more about it. After all, practically no one pays attention to him! Nevertheless, the tongue performs many important functions! And we decided to restore justice! So, the uvula, or uvula palatine, is a small conical process of the posterior edge of the soft palate, consisting of connective tissue.

Functions of the uvula

Firstly, our tongue is able to separate air flows and sets their further direction of movement. Because it is a continuation of the soft palate. And the soft palate, when functioning normally and largely thanks to the tongue indicator, is a natural partition between the oral and nasal cavities.

Secondly, the tongue separates the flow of food, preventing it from entering the pharynx. Are you interested in knowing how this happens? Please! When food touches the tongue, it provokes a spasm in the throat, which prevents the person from choking. This little giant is able to trigger, if necessary, a gag reflex, saving us from intoxication. Remember? “Two fingers in your mouth?”

Thirdly, it protects, as best it can, from the penetration of a flow of cold air, warming it (the air) with its own vessels. Yes, the tongue has not only its own vessels, due to which it swells during the inflammatory process in the throat, but also its own muscles, covered with a mucous membrane.

How can apnea be cured?

Treatment methods depend on the causes of the disease and the severity. If there are anatomical changes at the level of the nasopharynx, namely: curvature of the nasal septum, enlarged nasal turbinates, adenoids, hypertrophied tonsils and a small uvula, surgical treatment is performed.

Our clinic also successfully uses a modern surgical method - uvulotomy, or correction of an enlarged uvula. If you reduce the size of the tongue or remove it completely, it will not block the airway. The scope of intervention may vary depending on the indications. We perform partial and complete uvulotomy using a special laser.

Reviews of doctors providing the service - Uvulotomy

I express my sincere gratitude to Vladimir Alekseevich Debryansky!!!! After a while of course...Initially we treated the adenoids.....Before this we were treated with conservative methods....they were endlessly treated.....but this was not our method.....They performed an operation (at Debryansky V. A.).Attention, comfort, ... Read full review
Elena Gennadievna X

04.12.2020

I would like to express my gratitude to the excellent doctor, Vasily Gennadievich Gogolev, for his attentive and professional attitude towards the patient, tact and patience. Thank you. It's great that there are such Doctors!!!! Read full review

Elena K

06.08.2019

Chemical burn

It is very easy to understand that the uvula is swollen due to a chemical burn. This is supported by the consumption of alcohol, any new, unfamiliar drinks or unusual food the day before. In this case, the tongue becomes red, it hurts, there is a burning sensation and discomfort in the throat. It is very difficult to swallow any food.

In this case, it is best to consult a doctor - he will prescribe treatment or the necessary antidote. Usually, if the burn is caused by acid, the mucous membrane is washed with an alkaline solution. And, conversely, the best antidote for an alkali burn is acid.

Most common reasons

There are many reasons why the uvula is swollen. Most often these are not serious illnesses or infections. However, other, rather dangerous options are also possible. Most often, swelling of the uvula is caused by:

• inflammatory diseases of the oropharynx, nasopharynx, mouth, nose or paranasal sinuses;
• injury or irritation;
• allergic reactions;
• burnt by alkalis, acids or other chemical compounds;
• taking certain medications;
• burnt by alcoholic drinks;
• the presence of a tumor in the nasopharynx;
• heredity.

Only a doctor can establish a reliable cause after a thorough examination and examination. Laboratory and instrumental studies help make the correct diagnosis.

Why the tongue in the throat swells: reasons

If upon examination the soft palate is clean and the uvula is inflamed, the doctor will diagnose uvulitis. Most often, this disease has an acute form, which is characterized by suddenness - pain and swelling appear while eating or even at night during sleep. Reasons include:

• inflammatory pathologies - ENT infections, tonsillitis, advanced dental diseases, abscesses, diphtheria, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV;
• chemical or thermal damage to the mucous membrane as a result of exposure of the tissue to aggressive compounds (burn with alkali or acid), as well as consumption of hot food and after alcohol;
• allergies – when including foods of an allergic nature in the diet, inhaling allergens (chemicals, natural irritants), taking medications;

• growths and formations in the pharynx - polyps, cysts. In addition to the immediate causes, there are associated factors that influence the enlargement of the tongue in the throat. This:
• a stuck bone in the throat that injures the mucous membrane;
• consumption of low-temperature drinks and foods;
• consequences of instrumental manipulations during examinations of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, as well as dental procedures;

A tumor of the uvula can appear after vomiting, especially prolonged and repeated attacks, from snoring and in those who smoke a lot.

Pathogenic microbes

If the organ is swollen and taking antihistamines does not bring relief, most likely the illness is caused by mucous infections.

If the disease is of viral origin, you need to take antiviral drugs (Viferon or Arbidol), but when the pathology is caused by pathogenic microbes, you need to take antibiotics.

Often, with infectious uvulitis, various anti-inflammatory sprays are prescribed that fight the causative agents of the inflammatory process and reduce pain.

What are the advantages of laser uvulotomy?

Compared to the classic surgical method using a scalpel, laser uvulotomy is less traumatic and allows you to act locally and as accurately as possible:

• the laser excises tissue with pinpoint precision;
• the edges of the incision are welded together, and there is no need for stitches after the procedure;
• As a result of the intervention, there is no blood or risk of infection, and the rehabilitation period is quick.

In some cases, in addition to correction of the uvula, plastic surgery of the soft palate is also performed if its structure interferes with normal breathing during sleep.

It is important to know that uvulotomy cannot be performed during exacerbation of chronic diseases, inflammation, or a high risk of heart attack. Each case is individual, so you should consult your doctor before surgery.

Book an appointment for uvulotomy

An experienced surgeon at the French Clinic Medical Center will tell you all the details of the procedure, make sure there are no contraindications and give recommendations for preparation. As before conventional surgical interventions, before uvulotomy you will need to undergo general and biochemical blood tests, a general urine test, a coagulogram, tests for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis.

Leave your phone number. The clinic administrator will call you back.

When should you see a doctor? Which one do you need?

If the uvula is very swollen or lengthened, the patient should immediately seek help from a specialized doctor. Such a specialist is an otolaryngologist who will conduct a diagnosis,, if necessary, prescribe additional studies, make a diagnosis and choose a therapeutic tactic.

As a rule, such patients need urgent treatment and can be placed in a hospital, where in case of fulminant asphyxia, qualified medical care will be provided and possible complications of the disease will be prevented.

• Causes of joint pain due to tonsillitis

Most often, the cause of inflammation of the palatine process is an infection, but there are cases when this condition is a symptom of another disease - then the ENT doctor gives the patient a referral to another doctor.

Prevention measures

Uvulitis is one of those diseases that can be easily treated in the early stages. However, advanced pathology poses a threat to the patient’s life. The following preventive measures help prevent inflammation of the uvula:

• timely treatment of dental diseases,
• proper oral care,
• treatment of colds and infectious diseases (including chronic ones),
• Vaccination of children according to the vaccination schedule,
• rejection of bad habits,
• adherence to the principles of proper nutrition,
• contact a specialist if the uvula is swollen.

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How to correct malocclusion and tongue position.

There must be an integrated approach. Modern orthodontics offers various ways to straighten teeth. But as we have already seen, straightening teeth is ineffective without eliminating the causes leading to these changes.

Therefore, the solution to the problem of malocclusion should be aimed at the entire complex of pathological changes: restoration of the anatomically correct position of the tongue, development of the correct stereotype of swallowing, chewing, head position, posture.

Osteopathic treatment offers exactly this approach: restoration or formation of the correct relationship of anatomical structures

1. Correction of weakened or excessively tense muscles of the face, neck, floor of the mouth and the tongue itself, this will lead to the restoration of the correct position of the tongue in the oral cavity and uniform participation of the corresponding muscle chains in the processes of chewing and swallowing.
2. The effect on the bone structures that form the cavities of the nose and mouth leads to the restoration of the physiological volumes of these cavities and helps improve nasal breathing, chewing, swallowing and speech.

3. Motor innervation of the tongue, swallowing and chewing is provided by the hypoglossal nerve, which exits the cranial cavity through the canal of the hypoglossal nerve, where in some cases it may be compressed. Until a certain age, mobility is maintained in this zone and using osteopathic methods it is possible to restore the physiological correspondence of these anatomical structures.

Allergic uvulitis

If the throat uvula swells due to an allergic manifestation, antihistamines (Loratadine, Suprastin, Diazolin) are usually prescribed. To make the recovery of the swollen organ faster, you can use diuretics (Trifas, Veroshripon).

If the conical process is so swollen that the patient's life is in danger, it is necessary to use corticosteroids - medications that are prescribed as first aid for allergies to prevent complications. If after taking medications from this pharmaceutical. group, the patient’s condition will not improve, the only solution will be surgical intervention.

You can speed up the recovery process using traditional medicine methods. The patient needs to gargle several times a day with decoctions based on medicinal herbs (raspberry, St. John's wort), an infusion of garlic has also proven itself to be good (100 grams of peeled vegetable, pour 100 ml of water and leave the medicine to infuse for five hours).

Experts warn that if the uvula located on the roof of the mouth constantly swells due to allergies, it is necessary to identify what is the primary source of such a reaction in the body, otherwise the pathology may recur with a certain periodicity and significantly complicate the patient’s life.

Symptoms

At the initial stage of the disease, swelling and other signs of inflammation are insignificant. Respiratory dysfunction does not develop in patients. Clinically, uvulitis is manifested by a feeling of a foreign object in the throat, a change in voice, and discomfort when swallowing and speaking. The tongue in the throat enlarges and swells slightly.
The general condition of the patients remains satisfactory. Moderate and severe uvulitis manifests itself with more pronounced clinical symptoms. The patient experiences:

• Hyperemia and swelling of the uvula,
• Hanging it to the root of the tongue,
• Swelling and tenderness of the soft palate,
• Fever,
• Weakness, myalgia, arthralgia,
• Dysphonia,
• Hypersalivation,
• The urge to vomit
• Rhinitis.

photo of an inflamed tongue in the throat

Symptoms of uvulitis occur when eating food, coughing or sneezing. Persons who have undergone adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are most susceptible to developing the disease.

The inflamed uvula swells in the throat, becomes red and increases significantly in size. The uvula appears white when coated. In the absence of timely medical care, it can block the airways, which will lead to the development of asphyxia.

Diagnosis of uvulitis involves conducting a pharyngoscopy examination. In patients, the uvula is enlarged, swollen, and hyperemic. If it reaches the root of the tongue, a gag reflex occurs. In severe cases, the tip of the tongue becomes bluish, becomes covered with a false film, or becomes ulcerated.

How is the operation and rehabilitation carried out?

Uvulotomy is performed under local anesthesia, so the operation will cause you virtually no inconvenience. You will be asked to lie on your back. To separate the uvula, the doctor will install a special expander into the oral cavity, and then use a precisely directed laser beam to excise a certain part of the uvula.

You may have a sore throat in the first few hours after your uvulotomy. This is a normal reaction of the body, which often lasts up to 1.5-2 weeks, weakening and disappearing every day.

After correction of the uvula, you should not smoke. You need to exclude spicy and sour foods from your diet, which can irritate tissues and interfere with healing. Alcohol must be excluded.

Approximately 2 weeks after the uvulotomy, you need to come for a follow-up appointment with the otolaryngologist. You can make an appointment with our specialists using the online form on the website or by phone at any time convenient for you.

What diagnostics are needed?

When a patient complains that the uvula in the throat has become enlarged, the doctor takes an anamnesis of the disease and conducts a visual examination of the condition of the pharynx - pharyngoscopy.

Using the method of posterior rhinoscopy and oropharyngoscopy, anatomical features, pathologies and defects of the organ are studied, swelling of the uvula is assessed using a spatula and a nasopharyngeal speculum.

The doctor and the patient are facing each other, and if necessary (strong gag reflex), before the examination, the area being examined is irrigated with a local anesthetic.

Why the uvula in the throat is swollen, diagnostic measures, which include laboratory tests, will help to find out:

• a general blood test, which helps determine the nature of the disease (in case of infection, the number of leukocytes increases, in case of allergies, eosinophil levels increase);
• conducting an immunogram by collecting blood or saliva if an allergic reaction is suspected;
• throat swab for bacterial culture to determine the causative agent of inflammation and its susceptibility to the main antibacterial drugs.

Additionally, the doctor can send the patient for an X-ray, tomography, or take material for a histological examination for a biopsy to exclude cancer.

What medications are used to treat an inflamed uvula?

When an inflamed tongue swells in the throat, the choice of medications is approached with great caution due to the high risk of complications of the respiratory system. All medicinal tactics are aimed at reducing swelling and relieving inflammation of the uvula.

Complex therapeutic tactics include the use of:

• antiallergic drugs - antihistamines (Lordestin) and glucocorticosteroids (Prednisolone, Triamcinolone);
• decongestant diuretics – Torasemide SZ, Hypothiazide, Furosemide. These medications are considered first aid and prevent the development of asphyxia.

• If the upper uvula is swollen after drinking alcohol, in order to stabilize the condition, Diazolin, Zyrtec or Aleron are prescribed and subsequent alcohol intake is completely avoided.
• When diagnosing a viral or bacterial infection that provoked inflammation of the uvula, antibiotics (Azithromycin, Amoxiclav) or antiviral drugs (Cycloferon, Remantadine, Arbidol) are prescribed.

Complex therapy also includes:

• treatment of the larynx with antiseptic sprays - Hexoral, Kameton;
• taking vitamin complexes (Vitrum, Multi-Tabs and immunomodulators (Immunity, Zdorov).

All medications are taken in a course, in accordance with the doctor’s prescription and under his supervision.

Symptoms of inflammation of the uvula in the throat. How does it manifest?

The fact that the tongue in the throat has become enlarged is indicated by painful swallowing of saliva, which occurs immediately after sleep and after a few hours may pass or may remain.

The main symptoms are the same as for sore throat - swelling, redness, pain when swallowing, sensation of a foreign object in the throat. Sometimes unexpected pain may occur when sneezing, coughing or eating.

Particular attention should be paid to complaints of a sore throat in a child - if the uvula is swollen, you should immediately call an ambulance, since even a slight enlargement of the organ significantly narrows the respiratory lumen.

The danger of the disease directly depends on the speed of development of the main symptoms - the faster they are, the more complex the patient’s condition.

Certain symptoms indicate signs of organ inflammation:

1

in case of traumatic injury, the following is observed: difficulty breathing, swallowing, salivation, vomiting, speech and phonation are impaired, the uvula touches the tongue;

2

with an infectious lesion: the body temperature rises, the soft palate swells and turns red, weakness and muscle pain appear, the uvula becomes covered with a white film;

3

for allergies: sensation of a lump in the throat, increased salivation, difficulty pronouncing words, itching and rash all over the body, watery eyes, cough, difficulty breathing.

Due to intolerance to any component in medications, drug-induced uvulitis can develop, which is dangerous due to angioedema (Quincke), causing asphyxia and leading to the death of the patient. In addition to the characteristic symptoms of uvulitis, there are other signs of this disease.

Growth on the tongue in the throat

A visual inspection may reveal growths that have a rough surface. These are papillomas that stand out against the background of the mucous membrane in a lighter color and resemble a mulberry.

Sometimes they can be multiple and creeping in nature and spread throughout the entire oral cavity. In their advanced form, papillomas pose a threat to life, as they significantly narrow the lumen of the airways.

Pimples on the tongue

Pimples may appear on the area of ​​the uvula - pustular formations, which are cysts or polyps, and, as a rule, are of a benign nature.

They need to be treated with antiseptic sprays, but for complete safety, doctors still recommend getting rid of such tumors surgically.