What Is a Uvula?
Your uvula is the fleshy tissue that hangs in the back of your throat. It's attached to the roof of your mouth (soft palate). You can see it if you look in the mirror and open your mouth wide. Your uvula normally has a teardrop shape and helps you swallow and speak. But you can run into problems if your uvula swells or gets bigger than normal.
A swollen uvula can cause a sore throat, redness, or breathing problems. You may also find it hard to talk or feel like you're choking. It's a condition called uvulitis. The suffix "itis" means disease or inflammation. So, uvulitis means your uvula is inflamed or swollen. It can happen for many reasons.
If your uvula is swollen, it signals that something's not right. Sometimes, the cause may be unclear. Other times, you'll need a doctor's care. But usually, a swollen uvula is temporary and goes away on its own.
What does the uvula do?
Nobody knows exactly why we have a uvula, and it may not look like much. But it seems to play a role in helping you:
- Make saliva to moisturize the back of your mouth so you can swallow easier
- Direct food and water into your throat
- Stop your soft palate from being forced into your mouth when you cough or sneeze
- Control part of your gag reflex
What Is a Bifid Uvula?
A bifid uvula, also called a cleft uvula, is one that's split or forked. It can be harmless or indicate other conditions. A bifid uvula can mean you have a submucosal cleft palate. This means you may not be able to see your cleft palate on the surface of your mouth.
Sometimes, a bifid uvula can also cause difficulty swallowing or other issues. But a bifid uvula isn't the same as uvulitis.
What does it mean if my uvula is long, leans to one side, or has a bump?
Some people have uvulas that vary in other ways. A deviated uvula will lean to one side or the other. This can happen after an injury, but other things can cause it too. Some people also have longer uvulas, but this is normal.
But if you have a lump or bump on your uvula, it's not normal and you should get medical help. You might need a biopsy to make sure it isn't a type of cancer.
Swollen Uvula Causes
Often, a swollen uvula isn't serious and goes away on its own. It might feel like you have an itchy uvula. It might also come with other uncomfortable or irritating symptoms, such as:
- Sore throat
- White spots on your uvula or in the back of your throat
- Trouble swallowing
- Coughing
- Gagging
- Choking
- Snoring
- Trouble breathing
- Feeling like you have something in the back of your throat
Infections
You can get a swollen uvula from infections including the flu, mononucleosis, croup, or strep throat. Even a common cold can cause your uvula to swell. Sometimes, people with COVID-19 notice that their uvula is swollen. But it isn't considered a common symptom.
Uvulitis doesn't mean you have a sexually transmitted disease or infection (STD or STI). But some STDs can cause it. These include syphilis and gonorrhea.
Depending on the type of infection causing your swollen uvula, you may have other symptoms such as:
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Stuffy nose
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Body aches
Your throat may be sore and red. See your doctor if you have a sore throat that lasts longer than a week.
Allergies
Puffed-up skin or tissue is a common symptom of allergies. Your uvula may be swollen because of seasonal allergies to grass, pollen, dust, or pet dander. Certain foods, such as milk, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, or eggs, can also cause allergic reactions.
If allergies are the cause of your swollen uvula, you might also have:
- Hives
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Runny or stuffy nose
An allergist can help pinpoint what's causing your symptoms. That way, you can try to avoid allergic triggers in the future.
Injuries
An injury can also make your uvula swell. Common causes include:
- Intubation (your doctor puts a breathing tube in your throat)
- Endoscopy (your doctor puts in a tube with a camera attached to view your digestive tract)
- Complications from procedures like tonsil removal
- Damage from acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) or frequent vomiting
Medications
Some medicines may cause swelling, either from an allergic reaction or how they interact with your body. Glucosamine sulfate, a medication for joints, can also lead to uvulitis in some people. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen treat inflammation. But they might also cause swelling — a rare condition called NSAID-induced angioedema.
Other medicines that can make your uvula swell include:
- Ipratropium bromide, a medication for asthma or other breathing problems
- ACE inhibitors, medicines used for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, migraine, and other conditions that tighten your blood vessels
Your doctor can give you another medication if the swelling in your uvula causes too many problems.
Snoring
In rare cases, snoring can cause your uvula to swell. This type of snoring may come from obstructive sleep apnea. It's a condition that causes loud snoring with periods of stopped breathing.
If you have sleep apnea, you may also:
- Wake up with a sore throat
- Often wake your partner
- Feel sleepy during the day even after a full night's sleep
- Have chest pain at night
- Have high blood pressure
Genetics
You may have inherited the cause of your swollen uvula from one or both of your parents. Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder that causes fluid to collect around your blood vessels.
HAE can stop the flow of lymph fluid in your body and make your tissues swell. If you have this, other parts of your body may also swell. Your hands, feet, eyelids, lips, and genital area can get bigger, too. Your doctor can give you a blood test to confirm a diagnosis of HAE.
Home Remedies for a Swollen Uvula
Most of the time, uvulitis goes away on its own. Depending on the cause for your swollen uvula, you might need medical care. But they may suggest some things to help you manage symptoms. For example, you can:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Try warm or cold foods to soothe the area.
- Keep the air moist with a humidifier.
- Suck on a lozenge to keep your throat moist.
Takeaways
Many things can cause your uvula to swell, such as infections, allergies, or smoking. Most of the time, your swollen uvula will go away on its own. But if it doesn't, consult a doctor. They can figure out the cause of your swollen uvula and address your swallowing or breathing problems.
Swollen Uvula FAQs
What are the symptoms of a swollen uvula?
If your uvula is swollen, it might feel itchy, uncomfortable, or irritated. You might also have a sore throat, trouble swallowing, cough, or gag. If it's in your way, you might feel like choking, have trouble breathing, or snore.
The symptoms that come with your swollen uvula will depend on what's causing it, such as:
- Infections
- Allergies
- Injury
- Certain medicines
- Genetics
Swelling can also happen because you've breathed in chemicals. If you smoke tobacco, cigarettes, vape, or inhale other substances, it can cause uvulitis. And your uvula can swell if you're dehydrated or drink too much alcohol, too.
If you have acid reflux (GERD), the acid that comes up in the back of your throat can irritate your uvula and cause swelling.
How do you treat a swollen uvula?
Uvulitis often goes away on its own. To get rid of the swelling faster, you need to treat what's causing it. A doctor can tell you if you've got a viral or bacterial infection. Most infections caused by a virus don't have a treatment. You just wait for them to clear up. If the problem is caused by bacteria, your doctor may suggest antibiotics.
While you wait for your infection to pass, you can:
- Drink lots of water.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Use pain relievers, throat sprays, or other at-home remedies for sore throats.
If your swollen uvula is a result of an allergy, you may want to take allergy medicine. For serious allergies, your doctor might suggest you get allergy shots. As your uvula heals, your swelling will go down. Your doctor may suggest pain medicine or anti-inflammatory medication to treat your symptoms.
How can I sleep with a swollen uvula?
If you're noticing a swollen uvula at night, it might relate to snoring or sleep apnea. If you think a swollen uvula is affecting your sleep, see a doctor.
Can dehydration cause a swollen uvula?
Not drinking enough water can play a role in causing uvulitis. Sometimes, drinking too much alcohol can also be a factor.
Will ibuprofen help uvula swelling?
Although nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, bring inflammation down, they may actually cause the uvula to swell. It's a rare medical condition called NSAID-induced angioedema.
When should I go to the ER with a swollen uvula?
Most of the time, a swollen uvula will go away on its own. But you should see a doctor if you think you need treatment or your swollen uvula is related to a more serious condition.
You could have a rare but serious condition called Quincke's disease. Often caused by an allergic or medication reaction, it causes the uvula to swell quickly. No matter the cause, get medical help right away or go to the ER if you are worried or are having trouble:
- Breathing
- Swallowing
- Keeping your temperature down (high fever)
- Sleeping
What if your swollen uvula isn't going away
If your swollen uvula isn't going away, there might be another cause. See your doctor if you think snoring might be the reason for your swollen uvula. They'll likely do certain tests, such as an X-ray or a sleep study, to observe your sleep.
Your doctor may look at the back of your throat, ask how you're feeling, and if you have any other symptoms. They may want to run tests to see what's causing the swelling. Your doctor will probably do throat cultures, allergy, and blood tests.
Your treatment will depend on what's causing your swollen uvula. If your swollen uvula is genetic and caused by hereditary angioedema, there's no cure. But medicine can help prevent attacks.
In some cases, your doctor may offer surgery to remove all or part of your uvula, known as a uvulectomy. It can help with snoring or sleep apnea, too. A surgeon may use an electric current to cut away some of your uvula tissue. This procedure can help open your airway.
You may have this done if your uvula is unusually large or long. Although you can get by just fine without a uvula, it might take time to get used to not having it there.
