Swollen uvula and sore throat

Sore throat and swollen uvula are commonly triggered by various different types of allergies, inflammatory conditions caused by foreign bodies, and poor oral hygiene. This medical condition is very annoying but fortunately enough it can be treated by certain simple home remedies.

Symptoms of Sore Throat and Swollen Uvula

When the throat becomes sore, it is always associated with scratchiness, painful sensations, uncomfortable feelings, and swollen uvula. This medical condition is especially annoying because it makes drinking, eating, and speaking very uncomfortable.

The most common symptoms of sore throat and swollen uvula include a frequent desire to cough, hoarseness of voice, high fever, tightness in the throat, inflammation of the tonsils, swollen tonsils, painful sensations in the throat, headache, a general feeling of vomiting, pus in the throat, white patches in the throat and difficulty in swallowing.

Causes of Sore Throat and Swollen Uvula

There are numerous different factors that may cause a sore throat and swollen uvula and among the most common ones are various types of allergic reactions. This medical condition may also occur as a side effect of various different types of surgical interventions such as adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy.

If a foreign body gets stuck in the throat it may trigger an inflammatory condition of the surrounding tissues. If a person suffers from tonsillitis, the infection may easily spread from the tonsils to the uvula.

Also, various different sorts of bacterial infections may be held responsible for the occurrence of sore throat and swollen uvula. This medical condition may also sometimes be considered a symptom of other medical conditions such as viral pharyngitis, measles, infectious mononucleosis, croup, common cold, diphtheria, or chicken pox.

Consumption of hot fluids may also be the cause of sore throat and swollen uvula. Dryness of the mouth is also considered one of the most common causes of this medical condition. The most common causes of sore throat and swollen uvula include numerous different kinds of viral infections.

The uvula is a small conical process that hangs from the middle of the lower border of the soft palate and is covered by stratified squamous epithelium with numerous mucus glands and minor salivary glands beneath the surface. It is usually 5–25 mm in length. The human uvula contains serous and seromucinous glandular tissues and large excretory canals. Thus, it is capable of producing a large quantity of saliva that can be excreted in a short time. The musculus uvulae extends from the hard palate and is inserted into the uvula. It pulls up and shortens the uvula.

Enlarged or elongated uvula is, in the majority of cases, asymptomatic. However, when symptomatic, the clinical features include sore throat, usually related to the midline, sensation of something in the throat, dysphagia, cough and irritation in the throat, hawking and even vomiting.
In cases of Quinke’s oedema, there might be a sudden complaints of a tickle or irritation in the throat with gagging. Respiratory distress because of elongated uvulae has been reported.
Of the multiple causes of enlarged or elongated uvula, trauma seems to be the most common. Other causes include solitary infectious uvulitis, uvulitis associated with epiglottitis, angioneurotic oedema, papilloma and carcinoma.
The files of 375 patients with enlarged or elongated uvula seen over the period 1983–1997 were reviewed. A uvula which was more than 35 mm in length was considered to be enlarged or elongated. Each patient underwent full ORL examination. Plain X-ray and/or CT scan of the nasopharynx were carried out in symptomatic cases when indicated. Traumatic cases were excluded from this radiological examination. Swabs for bacteriological examination were taken in infectious cases.
220 cases were because of trauma. Of these, 212 cases were because of injury during adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, five because of fall with the introduction of a solid object in the mouth and three cases were self-inflicted i.e. to induce vomiting.

Little interest is shown in the uvula nowadays and modern textbooks describe it usually in conjunction with the soft palate. However, this small conical process that hangs from the middle of the soft palate can be the site of different types of pathology. The comparatively recent operations of sleep apnoea and snoring has shed some light on the morphology and metabolic activity of the uvula. Enlarged or elongated uvulae are rare but solitary involvement of uvula because of variety of causes occur.

✓ Fact confirmed: Conditions of the uvula: a 14 years experience Kamal J. Daghistani; 16 May 2000.

Home Remedies for Swollen Uvula and Sore Throat

Dehydration needs to be taken care of with the consumption of plenty of water, juices, and other beverages. Placing a wet tea bag on the tongue may also be of great help. Humidifiers and vaporizers may also come in very handy when it comes to moisten the throat.

Turmeric powder with honey is another potent home remedy. Fresh yogurt can also be very helpful for all those who suffer from sore throat and swollen uvula. Mild analgesics and plenty of vitamin C are also highly recommended.