Swollen tongue in the throat: causes and treatment. How to relieve inflammation?

If the tongue in the throat is swollen and significantly increased in size, this may indicate the presence of a serious disease.

The uvula is the most important element of the soft palate; it consists of smooth muscle cells and many blood vessels. In its normal state, the organ is very small in size; a person does not even feel it.

The organ performs many important functions in the nasopharynx area, so if it is dysfunctional, a person may face dangerous ailments that pose a threat to life. By what signs can you identify uvulitis, and what to do if this deviation occurs?

No singer neglects to take care of his own voice. Some people drink exclusively warm water, others wear scarves even in summer, others prefer honey and raspberries as a tasty way to prevent throat diseases. However, they all use special exercises to strengthen and preserve their voice.

The essence of pathology

Most people don't know what the uvula is called. In medicine, the organ is called the “conical process” and takes part in a variety of functions:

• separates food ducts;
• distributes and directs air flows;
• activates the gag reflex if necessary;
• reduces the likelihood of infection through the throat;
• protects the throat from penetration of cold air;
• takes part in the speech.

If the uvula (throat) increases in size and becomes inflamed, a person develops uvulitis. The disease progresses rapidly, from the first days a person begins to experience pain and discomfort in the palate.

The disease entails disruption of most of the functions of the tongue, which can cause very serious complications. That is why experts warn that at the first signs of swelling, you must immediately seek qualified help.

Causes of inflammation

What infections lead to organ pathology? There are several diseases that lead to swelling of the tonsils. All of them are associated with the action of certain microorganisms.

Angina

This disease is caused by bacteria. Sore throat is characterized by all the signs of intoxication of the body:

• the temperature rises;
• feeling unwell;
• headache;
• tonsils swell;
• There is an increase in cervical lymph nodes.

At elevated temperatures, painful sensations in the muscles and joints, as well as heart spasms, may occur.

Chronic tonsillitis

Frequent sore throats lead to chronic tonsillitis. Systematic diseases weaken the functions of the organ and contribute to swelling and chronic inflammation. Other factors can lead to chronic tonsillitis:

• untreated sore throat;
• weak immunity;
• pathologies of the structure of the nasopharynx.

The disease lasts a long time. Exacerbations are replaced by remission. The period of exacerbation has all the signs of a sore throat: the tonsils are swollen, and the head and throat hurt. During the period between exacerbations, there is a feeling of dryness and soreness in the throat. Joint pain and heart spasms appear periodically. With this diagnosis, the patient faces long-term treatment with an ENT specialist.

Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is inflammation, swelling of the mucous membrane of the pharynx. The cause of swelling is cold or polluted air. At the same time, we should not forget about the effects of toxic substances that irritate the throat. Inflammation of the tonsils is caused by various microorganisms. Symptoms of pharyngitis are:

• heat;
• muscle pain;
• dry cough;
• weakness;
• mild pain and discomfort in the throat.

With pharyngitis, the tonsils become moderately swollen.

Peritonsillar abscess

This pathology occurs as a complication of tonsillitis. It appears abruptly after treatment of the underlying disease. The patient's temperature rises, the tonsils swell, and pus accumulates in the peritonsillar retina. An abscess can be easily distinguished from other pathologies. He is accompanied by bad breath.

Other reasons

Swelling of the tonsils occurs not only due to the penetration of pathogenic microflora. They lead to him:

• allergies;
• tumors in the throat;
• laryngeal injuries;
• very dry air in the room.

The exact cause of swollen tonsils can be determined through a visual examination by a doctor and tests.

Symptoms

If a person has an inflamed and swollen uvula on the soft palate, the signs of the disorder will be so pronounced that they cannot be confused with something else. Regardless of what causes uvulitis, the most common symptoms are:

• There is a feeling of a foreign object in the throat, which may indicate an increase in symptoms, and the swelling is very severe.
• Nausea and urge to vomit.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Pain and difficulty swallowing food.
• Speech dysfunction, the appearance of hoarseness.
• Increased salivation.

If swelling is caused by allergies, the pathology may be accompanied by the following disorders:

• appearance of cough;
• severe sneezing;
• the appearance of a rash in the oral cavity;
• tearing eyes;
• constant sore throat.

If uvulitis is a consequence of an infectious disease, a person will suffer from the following symptoms:

• excessive dryness of the throat mucosa;
• runny nose;
• pain when swallowing;
• the appearance of chills or fever;
• purulent neoplasms on the tongue;
• general weakness.

Experts warn that if the tongue in the throat is swollen and increases in size, the disease should alert the patient. To select the appropriate treatment, it is necessary to identify the causes of the pathology; only an experienced physician can do this.

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.

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.

Prevention

If, after a sore throat, your throat periodically hurts again, it is necessary to take preventive measures. Laryngeal edema and complications will not arise if you follow the following recommendations:

• consult a doctor if tonsillitis occurs;
• strictly follow the treatment plan drawn up by the doctor;
• strengthen immunity;
• follow a diet;
• treat chronic infections in the nasopharynx (dental diseases, sinusitis, rhinitis, stomatitis).

With proper medical care, swelling of the throat, phlegmon, sore throat or other purulent infection goes away without consequences. Patients who follow the doctor’s advice quickly recover.

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.

Functions of the uvula

Inflammation of this part of the mouth is called uvulitis. The first signs of pathology development:

• redness of the tongue;
• pain when swallowing;
• gagging;
• labored breathing;
• temperature increase;
• speech problem;
• feeling of a lump in the throat;
• painful dry cough.

If timely measures are not taken, the swelling will continue to the stage of blocking the nasopharyngeal lumens. This situation leads to asphyxia (suffocation) with a fatal outcome.

In this situation, it is important to first stop the development of the inflammatory process. To do this, give the patient an allergy medicine and call an ambulance. . This is a small cone-shaped process

The tongue is located in the oral cavity on the edge of the palatine part (slightly above the root of the tongue). The organ consists of a muscular and connective structure covered with a mucous membrane. The uvula separates the laryngeal and pharyngeal regions and has several important functions:

This is a small cone-shaped process. The tongue is located in the oral cavity on the edge of the palatine part (slightly above the root of the tongue). The organ consists of a muscular and connective structure covered with a mucous membrane. The uvula separates the laryngeal and pharyngeal regions and has several important functions:

1. Protects the nasopharynx area from accidental ingress of liquid or food (during swallowing).
2. Does not allow you to choke while eating (when you touch hard particles of the tongue, it spasms, stopping the entrance to the respiratory tract).
3. Controls the process of food entering the digestive system, stopping the involuntary desire to regurgitate food/liquid back.

The absence of this part of the oral cavity does not affect the standard of living, but it increases the chances of choking and suffocation when eating. After all, the safety of swallowing movements is ensured by the simultaneous movement of this structure and the palatal part. When healthy, the tongue is pale pink in color and small in size.

Abuse of bad habits

As surprising as it may be, excessive alcohol consumption and frequent smoking can also lead to swelling of the uvula mucosa. What measures to take in such a situation?

Doctors advise drinking as much warm liquid as possible. Why do this? If the kidneys and urinary system work at an accelerated rate, the body will quickly cleanse itself of toxins. If a person drinks little fluid, intoxication may last several days.

The following will also help speed up the recovery process:

• maintaining proper nutrition;
• maintaining oral hygiene;
• complete cessation of alcohol and smoking (at least for the duration of treatment).

Uvulitis is a dangerous pathology that, in the absence of competent and timely treatment, can cause various complications. That is why, in order to maintain your health, when the first symptoms of a disorder occur, you must immediately visit a doctor.

If discomfort in the throat occurs, which turns into painful sensations, treatment must be carried out immediately. The tongue tends to increase in size; it is necessary to monitor its condition.

Prevention

To prevent swelling of the tonsils in a child and an adult, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures, including:

• strengthening the body's protective functions - maintaining a positive lifestyle, giving up bad habits, sports, a balanced diet that saturates the body with vitamins and nutrients;
• elimination of negative factors - minimizing exposure to unfavorable environmental conditions (changing jobs if a person works in hazardous work, which is why he acquired chronic pharyngitis);
• timely treatment of tonsillitis, sinusitis and other infections of the nasopharynx, to eliminate the breeding ground for pathogenic microbes;
• Consult a doctor promptly if symptoms of a sore throat appear to prevent complications.

Swollen tonsils are a source of infection, leading to damage to the cardiovascular, urinary and musculoskeletal systems, as well as regular respiratory diseases. Therefore, it is better to prevent pathology in time than to treat it for a long time and eliminate serious consequences.

A tumor of the tonsils is an alarming symptom that requires immediate treatment. Children experience tonsillitis, pharyngitis and other oropharyngeal infections more severely than adults, so the child’s condition needs to be monitored.

Any changes in the patient’s condition should be reported to the doctor without unauthorized cancellation of prescribed medications or changing dosages. Timely treatment of sore throat and preventive measures are the conditions for preventing chronic infections and dangerous complications.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cYrZW9PseM4

Home treatment

It is not always possible for a person to immediately consult a doctor at the first symptoms of illness. Although self-medication at home is not encouraged, sometimes it can be really effective.

Gargling

Calendula flowers have healing properties and are an excellent therapeutic antiseptic.

Homemade rinses will help relieve swelling of the tonsils and reduce sore throat. For this you can use:

• saline solution (1 teaspoon per 250 ml of water);
• soda solution (1 teaspoon per glass of water);
• Furacilin (1 tablet grind into powder and dissolve in 200 ml of water);
• decoctions of chamomile, calendula, sage or oak bark.

To prepare a decoction, you need to pour 2 large spoons of the plant with 2 glasses of water and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Then the resulting solution is cooled, mixed half and half with water and used for rinsing.

In case of swelling of the tonsils after injury, you can use the same solutions - they prevent infection of the wound. If there is a large tumor on the tonsils, home treatment is prohibited; you must urgently visit a doctor.

Inhalations

A rather controversial method of home treatment is inhalation. They are carried out using steam from boiled potatoes, essential oils, and the Zvezdochka inhaler. The effectiveness of inhalations for tonsillitis is very doubtful. Vaporization of essential oils does not reduce pain and swelling, but only facilitates nasal breathing. Thus, it is advisable to use inhalations for colds and sinusitis, but tonsillitis and swelling of the tonsils require highly targeted treatment.

Warming up and compresses

What you should not do if your tonsils are swollen is to apply heat to the tonsils. In the case of an acute bacterial infection, warm compresses or heating can intensify the inflammatory process. In the case of an abscess, exposure to heat can lead to its rupture, followed by infection of the entire body and the development of sepsis.