Swollen Uvula and Sore Throat

A sore throat is uncomfortable, painful and irritating. It is often accompanied with swollen uvula which is also known as uvulitis. This may make your life troublesome as they prohibit you from eating, speaking and even drinking water comfortably. If you are a frequent sufferer of sore throat, then it will definitely be a good idea to learn about this condition so that it can not only be treated well but to also prevent it from occurring in the future.

• Difficulty in swallowing
• Presence of white patches and pus in the throat
• A general feeling of nausea
• Headache
• Mild to severe throat pain
• Swollen and inflamed tonsils
• • Tightness in throat
• • High fever
• • Hoarseness of voice
• • Frequent urge to cough

• The most common cause of sore throat is one or the other type of viral infection, e.g. Infection of Epstein-Barr virus. This is the reason that many a time antibiotics fail to provide relief from this state.
• Dryness of mouth, which can be caused either by dehydration or breathing through mouth.

• Swollen uvula and sore throat are symptoms of certain diseases such as chickenpox, diphtheria, common cold, croup, infectious mononucleosis, measles and viral pharyngitis.

• Majority of human's throat is prone to infection by Streptococcus species. Such an infected throat is called strep throat. Thus, bacterial infection of the throat is another probable reason behind swollen uvula and strep throat or sore throat.
• In case of tonsillitis, the infection spreads from tonsils to uvula.

• Sometimes, some foreign body may get stuck in the throat and this leads to inflammation of the tissues involved. Such substances can be fish or chicken bones.
• Excessive smoking will not only result in sore throat but will cause dryness in uvula which may further lead to swelling, pain and inflammation.

• Swollen uvula and sore throat can be one of the side-effects of surgical treatments such as tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
• Oral hygiene is one of the major reasons behind sore throat and uvulitis.
• Allergic reaction of your body against dirt and dust, or some other foreign substance is another possible cause of swollen uvula.

• Deal with dehydration by drinking plenty of water. It will be even better if you drink warm water as it helps in healing sore throat.
• Drink warm lemon tea twice a day. It will help in easing discomfort from sore throat.
• Place a wet tea bag on the tongue. The antioxidants from tea will heal the uvulitis and reduce the inflammation of the throat.

• You can also use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten the throat.
• Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with a tablespoon of honey and lick it from the spoon from time to time to get fast recovery.
• Take a mild analgesic such as Ibuprofen to ease the pain. You can also try antibiotics for strep throat.

• Increase the intake of foods rich in vitamin C. This will boost your immunity and thus, help in fast recovery from sore throat.
• It is better to sleep on your side than on back so as to avoid swelling of uvula.

• Take a glass of warm water. Add a teaspoon of table salt and a quarter of a teaspoon of turmeric powder to it. Mix these ingredients well and gargle before sleeping for the best possible results.

• If you get frequent sore throats, you should use throat irrigators that are available over-the-counter. Throat irrigators wash away microbes and massage the throat area so as to allow proper blood circulation.
• Avoid greasy food as it may aggravate the condition.

• Brush your teeth and tongue at least twice a day to maintain good oral hygiene.

Hope, the information given in this article will help in recovering from frequent sore throat and uvula problems. Limit the consumption of alcohol and stop smoking so as to get long term relief.

However, if in spite of trying out all the above mentioned home remedies, you continue to face trouble with uvula and sore throat, then consult an Otalaryngologist to avoid further complication.