Uvulitis: main signs of the disease, causes, treatment, prognosis

Why do you need a tongue?

The uvula in the throat is a palatal process that resembles a small bell. Its main function at the junction of the larynx and palate is protective. It prevents bacteria, viruses and pathogenic microorganisms from entering the throat and lower respiratory tract. The tongue covers the throat from cold air when walking on a frosty day. It also distributes air flow.

The tongue is located above the larynx, and when it enlarges, the functions of swallowing, breathing, and speech are impaired. The swollen organ can increase in size by 5 times. Because of this, it falls on the tongue, causing gag reflexes.

Causes of swelling

Swelling of a small organ is a symptom indicating the development of an infection or other pathology. In 25% of cases, an inflammatory process develops on the uvula, even in this case the disease is a consequence of inflammatory reactions, for example, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis.

Swelling is caused by the development of bacteria: streptococci, staphylococci. Viruses, especially influenza, parainfluenza and adenoviruses, are also causes. Only in 20% of cases can the uvula become swollen due to the spread of a fungal infection.

One of the reasons for swelling of the tongue is an allergic reaction. It can develop through contact with various substances or as a result of taking medications.

A tumor of the uvula develops from factors:

• pathologies of the oral cavity and nasopharynx;
• neoplasms, benign and malignant uvula or adjacent elements;
• surgery to remove tonsils;
• throat surgery;
• injuries, burns of the tongue;
• inhalation of toxic substances, dust;
• drinking hot drinks and food.

Inflammatory processes in the pharynx and pharyngeal ring develop due to dry mucous membranes, hormonal imbalances due to pregnancy, menopause, adolescence, or the use of hormonal medications. In this case, the greater damage occurs on the tongue.

Risk groups include smokers and people who drink alcohol excessively. If a person has reduced immunity due to chronic endocrine or systemic pathologies, a swollen uvula will be a consequence of illness.

Due to undeveloped immunity, children are primarily affected by swelling of the uvula. The symptoms are extremely severe. Elderly people are also susceptible to swelling of the uvula, but the signs are not obvious.

Poor treatment of respiratory diseases leads to tumors: if a person gargles with a concentrated soda solution and a decoction of medicinal herbs of various origins.

Causes of inflammation

Usually the soft palate and uvula are not felt. However, when inflammation occurs, the tongue turns red, swells, and acute pain occurs.

People who have had their tonsils removed are predisposed to the pathology.

It is generally accepted that uvulitis occurs as a result of a violation of the integrity of the venous plexuses, which are located in the uvula. This phenomenon can also be caused by rupture of blood vessels or infection in the mouth.

This happens in the following cases:

1. drinking cold drinks
2. hot liquid or food that burns the palate allergic reaction
3. chronic sore throat
4. injury to the uvula resulting from a strong cough or sudden sneezing of a tumor in the nasopharynx

Symptoms

It is difficult to miss the swelling of the uvula: the feeling of a foreign body, gagging are unpleasant signs. Even a person who is far from medicine can visually examine the throat and find out that the appendage of the palate is swollen.

But if the tumor is not obvious, other symptoms may indicate a problem:

• increased salivation;
• speech disorder;
• labored breathing;
• pain and sore throat.

Depending on the pathology, severe fever, cough, and runny nose may occur. If a person suffers from allergies, a rash, itching, redness of the skin and swelling of the lips and tongue are possible.

Painful swallowing of saliva during a long conversation or after sleep may indicate a problem. An unpleasant symptom may subside within half an hour. Discomfort may occur when eating, drinking, or sneezing and coughing.

Complications

If the uvula on the roof of your mouth is swollen, you must urgently seek medical help, otherwise there will be a rapid development of edema, asphyxia and death.

If the swelling is insignificant, a person may experience difficulty speaking or eating: the feeling of a foreign body causes nausea, as a result the patient refuses to eat and does not receive microelements for the body.

Difficulty breathing slowly but surely leads to dysfunction of internal organs and tissues. The respiratory and cardiovascular systems and meninges are affected.

Main causes of uvulitis

In a healthy state, a person does not feel the small tongue. But when it becomes inflamed, it is impossible not to notice it. You should not ignore unpleasant symptoms, because there can be many reasons for such a pathology:

• viral and bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract,
• dental problems and jaw pathologies, the presence of implants and crowns,
• acute and chronic tonsillitis,
• peritonsillar abscess,
• cystic and tumor formations of the soft palate,
• angioedema,
• sinusitis, rhinitis, sinusitis,
• vegetative-vascular disorders,
• mental pathologies in the acute phase,
• seasonal, household or drug allergies,
• mechanical damage from solid food, sharp objects,
• burns of the mucous membrane of the throat and larynx,
• influence of irritating substances,
• drinking alcoholic beverages and constantly smoking,
• heavy snoring during sleep.

The tongue in the throat may become swollen due to an infection of the ENT organs, when the inflammatory process from the tonsils and throat spreads to all soft tissues.
As you can see, the enlargement of the uvula is not always associated with direct causes, which means that diagnosis is carried out on the basis of many factors. First, the doctor examines the oral cavity to detect a foreign object, as well as the level of swelling. Rapid swelling requires emergency medical attention, otherwise it will lead to suffocation and death in a matter of minutes. This is especially true for children, who cannot always formulate an adequate complaint, and their illnesses progress very quickly and acutely.

The tongue in the throat may become swollen due to an infection of the ENT organs, when the inflammatory process from the tonsils and throat spreads to all soft tissues. In this case, the doctor must determine the disease and its nature. After diagnosis, a treatment regimen is selected - at home or in a hospital. It is best to treat a child with uvulitis in a hospital under the 24-hour supervision of a doctor.

Diagnostics

If signs appear, you should consult a doctor: a therapist or an otolaryngologist. If hypersensitivity to one of the components is indicated, the patient will be referred to an immunologist or allergist. If a reactive tumor of the uvula is suspected due to the development of an infection, an infectious disease specialist is also involved in the study.

Visual diagnosis is not enough. It is important to identify the degree of swelling and symptoms, and determine the condition of the body. Therefore they carry out:

• laryngoscopy;
• pharyngoscopy;
• Ultrasound;
• radiography.

It is necessary to prescribe laboratory tests of blood, urine, and scraping of the mucous membrane. If purulent ulcers are visible on the uvula, their contents are examined.

What is uvulitis?

What is uvulitis? This is an inflammation of the conical process (uvula) on the posterior edge of the palate. It always occurs rapidly and very acutely, accompanied by pain, difficulty breathing and a lump in the throat.

The function of the uvula is to form sounds and protect the nasopharynx from food entering it. This anatomical element is important for the body, so it should be treated.

According to the form of uvulitis, the following are distinguished:

1. Acute – the appearance of the disease;
2. Chronic – periodic occurrence of the disease.

Based on the causes (causative agents) of occurrence, they are divided into types:

• Infectious: bacterial and viral.
• Allergic.
• Drug.
• Traumatic.

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Treatment

If the uvula is swollen, you cannot self-medicate: incorrect actions will lead to a sharp deterioration of the condition. If swelling develops quickly, you should call emergency medical care, the paramedic will give injections with antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs and refer the patient to the intensive care unit.

If the tumor of the palatine process is insignificant, you can consult an otolaryngologist yourself. After the examination, the doctor will determine the cause of the pathology and develop a treatment program.

Conservative therapy

Conservative treatment methods are chosen if the patient's condition does not cause concern. If the inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection, the first-line drug is an antibiotic. If the disease began due to the development of a viral or fungal infection, choose the appropriate medication.

A group of medications will help relieve symptoms:

1. Antihistamines. If the swelling is not caused by contact with an allergen, medications help relieve swelling.
2. Anti-inflammatory. Help eliminate swelling, redness, and pain. At the initial stage, non-steroidal drugs are prescribed; in difficult situations, steroids (hormones) are used.
3. Diuretics. They are aimed at relieving puffiness, but the drugs must be taken carefully.

Antiseptics will help eliminate pathogenic microbes. In difficult situations, doctors prescribe injections of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory solutions. For small and moderate tumors, tablets and capsules are used. If swallowing is inconvenient, sprays, gels, solutions, syrups and suspensions are used.

Inhalations with different compositions are remedies for the treatment of uvula swelling. But the compositions for the devices must be chosen by an otolaryngologist.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapeutic procedures are prescribed to strengthen the body when the main symptoms have already been reduced. To normalize metabolism the following is prescribed:

• magnetic therapy;
• ultrasound therapy;
• UHF;
• electrophoresis;
• phonophoresis;
• applications.

Usually choose one or two courses of 10 days.

Diet

Proper nutrition during treatment of any disease is the key to success. It is necessary to exclude allergens that caused the tumor, and also exclude:

• hot/cold food and drinks;
• spicy;
• pickled;
• sour.

Alcohol and carbonated drinks are prohibited. It is important for the patient to eat foods rich in vitamins, fiber, and carbohydrates.

Surgery

Otolaryngologists and surgeons are doing everything to delay surgery for partial or total removal of the uvula; this will lead to voice impairment. If a person’s life is at risk or the risk of developing disability is increased, then they resort to surgery.

Excision of the swelling is carried out using minimally invasive methods: laser, cryotherapy, ultrasonic scissors (scalpel). With these methods, stitches are usually not required because the edges of the wound are sealed using laser light or ultrasound. But if necessary, self-absorbing sutures are applied.

Basic treatment methods

First you need to determine the cause of the disease, and only then prescribe medications. Therapy must be comprehensive in order to eliminate discomfort, remove symptoms and improve the patient’s condition as soon as possible.

The following recommendations must be followed:

• Drink plenty of fluids
• Regularly carry out wet cleaning
• Ventilate the premises
• Humidify the air
• Maintain personal hygiene rules
• Use separate dishes
• Follow a diet, namely eliminate foods that irritate the throat
• Quit smoking and alcohol

The disease is treated by otolaryngologists. If the disease is caused by bacteria, then a course of antibiotic therapy is necessary.

Local treatment will help relieve swelling and reduce sore throat. For medications, you can use antiseptic sprays (Derinat, Kameton, Ingalipt), as well as gargle with decoctions of medicinal herbs or a soda solution (1 teaspoon of soda per glass of water).

Antibiotics should be prescribed on an individual basis after receiving the culture results. Antibiotics from the group of macrolides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, have proven themselves well. The most common are Solutab, Azithromycin, Moxifloxacin, Ceftazidime.

Allergic uvulitis is treated with antihistamines (Loratodine, Cetirizine, Eden, Cetrin), diuretics (Mannitol, Uregid, Furosemide), as well as glucocorticosteroids for difficulty breathing (Diprofos, Dexamethasone, Hydrocortisone).

The speed of recovery depends on the body’s immune system, so it is important to adhere to a proper balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids, take vitamin complexes, paying special attention to vitamin C.

Surgical intervention is possible only with the development of a paratonsillar retropharyngeal abscess, as well as with the occurrence of purulent inflammation in diseases of the dentofacial apparatus.

Prevention

To prevent the development of a tumor of the uvula, otolaryngologists and other specialist doctors recommend:

1. Treat acute respiratory diseases. Follow doctors' recommendations for chronic pathologies.
2. Avoid contact with allergens.
3. Do not take medications uncontrollably.
4. Lead a healthy lifestyle.
5. Strengthen the immune system (hardening, moderate physical activity, walks in the fresh air, taking vitamin complexes).

Do not consume hot food or drinks, and avoid long-term consumption of cold foods (for example, ice cream).

1. Premium Clinic Medical Center. Uvulitis. // [electronic resource]. Access date 06/23/2021
2. Luchikhin L. A. Otorhinolaryngology. — 2012
3. Blotsky A.A. Inflammatory diseases of the pharynx. — 2015.
4. Head and Neck Institute. Uvula. // [electronic resource]. Access date: 05/22/2021

Author: Lyudmila Fedorova Pulmonologist, immunologist, therapist