Definition
The uvula is also called the uvula in medical terminology. It can be seen with the naked eye when the mouth is wide open in the rear part of the palate. It consists of a muscle, the uvulae muscle, and is soft to the touch.
The uvula can play an important role in speech. The uvula is particularly important for the formation of consonants. The uvula is also important during swallowing.
Function of the uvula
The uvula has a decisive influence on the formation of a human voice. Mainly the formation of consonants is affected. For example, the pronunciation of an “Ach” or an “R” can be disturbed or even impossible if the uvula is not present.
In the French language it leads to disturbances of the simple use of language, since in French the “Ach” and “rolling R” are strongly represented, while this would hardly be noticeable in the English language. Another type of phonation caused by the uvula is snoring. Furthermore, the uvula has a kind of protective function.
Touching the uvula triggers a gag reflex, which usually leads to vomiting. This is very helpful, for example, if you choke. Another function of the uvula is the drainage of nasopharyngeal secretions into the tongue.
The uvula is the only connection between these two parts, which means that if the uvula is missing, the outflow of mucus from the nasopharynx is restricted, which can lead to congestion. During the act of swallowing, this closure prevents food particles from entering the nasal and pharyngeal cavities. However, the uvula plays a rather disordered role in this process.
Diseases of the uvula
The swelling of the uvula is usually caused by viral infections. As a result, swallowing difficulties, a tightness in the throat, hoarseness, sore throat and the urge to cough usually occur. In extreme cases, however, the swelling of the uvula can also lead to nausea or headaches.
A swollen uvula can be a sign of various diseases. Among these are: If the symptoms continue to increase after several days, a doctor should be consulted. This doctor can try to treat the symptoms by administering medication.
- Chickenpox
- Common cold
- Piping glandular fever
- Tonsillitis
- Measles
- Viral Inflammation
- Diphtheria
- Allergic reaction
An inflammation of the uvula usually leads to swelling. Triggers can be various inflammations within the mouth, throat and neck area, which affect the uvula. Primarily, even flu-like infections can lead to an inflammation of the uvula.
But also inflammation of the tonsils and the pharyngeal mucosa, a fungal infection or Pfeiffer’s glandular fever can have the same consequence. Symptoms of an inflammation of the uvula are typically difficulty swallowing, coughing and sore throat. In the case of an infection with a typical flu, other symptoms usually occur in addition to the inflammation of the throat.
These include rhinitis, headaches, fever and hoarseness. Lozenges can also be taken for sore throats. Hot compresses, warm milk with honey or warm herbal teas (chamomile, sage) are recommended as possible household remedies.
White deposits can appear in the mouth and throat area for various reasons. Mushrooms, herpes, glandular fever, leukoplakia or diptheria are possible causes. Depending on the cause of the white coating, the infection can be contagious or non-contagious.
The most common cause, however, is the candida fungus. Accompanying symptoms are sore throat, fever or impaired taste. One speaks also of the so-called oral thrush.
The mouth and throat area is lined with a lot of mucous membrane, where benign or malignant tumors can often develop unnoticed. Such a tumor can also form on the uvula. Causes are smoking (nicotine abuse) and alcoholism, more rarely viral infections or reflux diseases, such as heartburn.
The mucous membrane comes into constant contact with harmful substances. The first symptoms are usually enlarged lymph nodes in the neck area. Furthermore, hoarseness, bad breath, irritable cough and stabbing pain can occur.A diagnosis is usually made by a biopsy of the mucous membrane or by endoscopy of the oropharynx.
The type of treatment can vary greatly. In principle, a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgical removal is suitable. A cleft uvula occurs in the context of a cleft lip and palate.
The cause of a cleft lip and palate can already be found in embryonic development. In this case, between the 7th and 12th week of pregnancy, an error occurs in the fusion of the palate. The fact that only the uvula is cleft, while the lip and palate are properly developed, however, happens very rarely.
A split uvula is usually not noticeable by symptoms or impairments. The length of the uvula can vary from person to person. A prolonged uvula is usually not unusual, but can have some consequences.
An omnipresent side effect is “snoring“. The long uvula can lead to fluttering and vibration when breathing in and out deeply, which in turn usually results in annoying snoring sounds. A treatment of snoring can be a surgical treatment in addition to sleep therapy.
The usual treatment of a too long uvula is a shortening or removal of it during a surgical procedure. The procedure can be performed conventionally under general anesthesia or alternatively by laser technology. While an operation may require several days of hospitalization, the shortening by laser technology can even be performed on an outpatient basis. An improvement of snoring sounds is expected at 70-80%.