Enlarged Uvula (Page 6)

I wanted to share my experience in this strange and annoying area. I had a TEE procedure a couple of days ago (that's where they stick a tube down your throat and look at your heart from behind it). The day after the procedure I noticed the back of my throat was really bugging me (like there was something there causing me to gag and felt like I just wanted to swallow or spit out whatever it was). I finally looked in a mirror at my throat and noticed my uvula was elongated and touching my tongue. I haven't yet gone to the doctor but did try the salt remedy recommended (unfortunately unsuccessfully, though it did take a very small amount of the bothersome part of it being there away), but I thought it interesting in light of all the other similar experiences.

I am really wondering as to what could be the cause as Ive NEVER experienced this in 48 years, other than following this medical procedure a couple of days ago.

They spray some stuff in your mouth and make you gargle with another agent as well (to numb the throat)..I'm wondering if this could be linked and whether anyones' had similar experience and/or whether it will subside in days/weeks?..as it's really bothersome.

For a few days I've noticed the exact same thing and finally took to a mirror to investigate. Same thing, this stupid little thing hanging down, the end looking like it got flattend and when I breath out it flaps in the wind like a flag. I just started to use an Rx nasal spray (Flonase, gen. Fluticasone) that is suppose to help me with my post nasal drip, not sure if that has an influence on it. I think i am going to give it a few days or so, see what happens. Its more annoying than anything from as far as i read on here!

I've experienced a swollen uvula twice now. The first time was from trying to clear my sinues by sucking really the hard the mucus out of my nose and down my throat. gross but true. The 2nd time I was at the dentist (last thursday) and my uvula got sucked into the suction tube while the dentist was grinding away at a tooth. didnt hurt at the time becuase I was numb but it made a horrible noise. now three days later my uvula is very irriated and there's a white patch at the end of it. the first day it was blood red. anyway if you're looking for a little relief until it heals drink ice cold milk. rice milk or almond milk help too.the colder the better. avoid pepper,spices, and coffee as those seam to irritate it even more. all in all it wil eventually heal and go away.

Thanks God, am not alone and i have help from people on this. Am so relaxed to see this post. Anyways, I guess i had same problem of enlarged epiglottis as soon as got up and looking like its getting dragged with my toungue making me feel like vomiting. i have had viral infection 2 days back, with a sore throat and tonsilitis. I was on medication on this already, today when i got up with this new problem, i immediately checked online and found some posts like this, then i called my doctor, he doubled the dose of my antibiotics and prescribed me a new medicine to reduce the inflammation and have onl bland food. I will update here more, if there are any changes and whats the status later in the evening.

hi my name s Bernard and i also had this lump in the throat for three months now,it doesnt hurt but is very annoying,and still now it exists. i go to a doctor and he told me to wash it with salted lukewarm water in the morning; i did this for a few mornin, but with no effective result; i went to another doctor and he told me that elongated uvula does not shrink permanently,and add its going to b a part of your life.
through my experience i had found in me that whenever i take chilli, very hot food,ginger, citrus ,the uvula became a bit stretched, but when i take sweets, and things which are sinful, the uvula does not stretch nor shrink.
imho apart from a stomach ulcer, the main reason i got this infection is that i eat too much of pan (betelnuts mix with betel leaf and lime), and too much of citrus fruits mix with pepper in my previous years. now i gave up all these, and wait for a positive results.. how i wish this tickle in throat shrinks....

Hi all,
My name is Andreas and i suffer from the same problem
I found this and you might need to check this out.
I hope that helps you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyUA70MazW8

THanks

Grateful to have found this forum. After a night of excessive drinking my boyfriend woke up with the "lump" feeling in his throat, without any soreness. I checked it out with a flashlight and was disgusted and a little amused to find his uvula laying distended along the top of his tongue, more than an inch in length and swollen. After reading many of these posts and determining that the main cause of the problem was dehydration, he began drinking water, but after about two hours this had no effect on the swelling.

What did work almost immediately was a couple of store brand menthol cough suppressant / oral anesthetic cough drops. By the second menthol cough drop he consumed, his uvula had returned completely back to normal.

For anybody experiencing the problem for longer periods of time, it is useful to know that if you become alarmed or feel as though you are choking, relax and try to position your body so that you are sitting up straight, and then lean forward. The forward motion will move swollen tissues away from your airway.

Hope this helps, as many of the posts here helped lead us to our solution.

I currently have the same problem. 3 weeks ago I had Bronchitis & they prescribed me an antibiotic. Then a week later it went away & I got 3 little pimples on my nose. Thinking they were normal I popped them & they just kept oozing. It went on for 3 days straight... This clear fluid. I didn't start to panic till it crusted over & turned orange/yellow. It was bright red all the way around the area as well. I went to Urgent Care & the doctor wouldn't get anywhere near my nose but diagnosed me anyway with Nasal Cellulitis,gave me Bactrim & sent me on my way. I took it for 2 days till I woke up one morning & the area had turned black. All around it the red had widened also. I read online that it could be dead flesch so I freaked out & went to the ER. They felt it was serious enough to rush me back to see doctors. They thought it was everything at first. So many tests... They put me on a really strong antibiotic through my IV. I had a bad allergic reaction to it so it had to be stopped. I guess it's common with that type. They gave me a different antibiotic through my IV & I reacted fine to that. They kept me for 24hrs then sent me home. I was required to take 2 strong antibiotics. One I had to take was 2 pills every 8 hours,the other 2 pills twice daily,& a probiotic to hopefully prevent a yeast infection from all the antibiotics. (I ended up getting one anyway though) If you do the math...for the past week & a half I've been taking 9 pills daily. I'm not used to that at all & I've had them get stuck a few times. This current feeling though was different so I looked in my mouth. My Uvula is swollen/hanging down & my tongue is a lil swollen also. I just assumed all this time it was my pills getting stuck. I've tried the gargling salt water,menthol cough drops,popsicle,& spoon/salt trick & it doesn't look or feel any different. My chest is feeling tight too which worries me about my breathing/airway. Now I'm paranoid... Can taking too many pills cause this & if not should I wait it out or go to the ER? Thanks

UPDATE!! I went to bed & woke up with the same feeling. I decided to try an 800mg Ibuprofen & within an hour the swelling went down completely. It eventually came back but not nearly as bad. At least now I know what works for me & that there's a good chance it will go away on it's own. =]

I first noticed the "demon in the throat" feeling about a couple months ago. It happened right after smoking synthetic marijuana (similar to k-2), so I thought for sure it was that substance and naturally I switched back over to pot. Oddly enough, the feeling occurred again. I've since stopped smoking and didnt feel it anymore until this morning. Now i became suspicious, bc i hadnt smoked. I looked in the mirror and saw that my "punching bag" was longer than it should be and rubbing against my tounge, cause the irritation. I had the equivalent of about 2 glasses of white wine last night, and I don't drink very much or very often- so maybe it was just dehydration? I gargled once w salt water and took 2 lozenges, so we will see what happens... I really appreciate everyone's contributions here (except for the person who said "don't drink water"-they're just dumb), an I really hope this goes away soon!
After reading every post here, seems the most consistent advice for soothing/remedy is to gargle w saltwater, take mints or cough drops, and eat ice cream (or sherbet for a healthier option). And the most consistent advice for preventing this in the future is Stay Hydrated and stay away from heavy drinking of alchohalic beverages and caffeinated drinks.
And the best news on here is that it probably isn't as serious as you thought!
Hope this helps! And I hope I am one of the lucky ones where this is a very brief incident!
Thanks
Ryan
P.S. I'm jk about calling that person dumb! I'm sure everyone's body reacts differently to different substances & scenarios..peace

UPDATE #2 It came back! =[ It comes & goes. I was told it could be "oral thrush" aka an oral yeast infection caused by the strong antibiotics I was on for the Nasal Cellulitis. The difficulty swallowing doesn't start with Oral Thrush unless it's progressed & moved to your throat. If not treated it can move to your lung's & cause some serious health risks. I'm hoping this isn't the case with me but it could be. I'm going to the doctor when I get back from vacation so we'll see. Just kinda putting it out there as a possibility/heads up. Good luck everyone!

I have been dealing with this for ten years (it comes and goes but there have been TWO times the uvuala was SO enlarged it was affecting my breathing and I had to go to the R and get a steroid shot - which immediately shrunk the uvuala back to normal size). Obviously, for many of you, if it is jusy slightly swollen, no big deal but if it gets grossly swollen it CAN close your air passage. My doctor prescribed Methylpred (steroid pills) to have on hand just in case.Mine is related to allergies and when allergy season is at its peak it can affect my uvuala.

Don't know if this is the same...I had my tonsils out in July. My uvula doesn't look enlarged infact it looks smaller than before but it feels like its laying on the back of my throat and I have constant phellem. It doesn't bother me when I eat, drink or lay on my left side. Any thoughts?

Hello to everyone,
I'm a noob here. I just woke up with this problem myself this morning. It was the size of my pinky(just embellisheing) I snore and have nasal problems myself.
I see post on here that some want surgery and some spend money on meds to make theirs go down. I like the salt water and the 2 mint ideas.
This is what I do, I keep Pineapple juice on hand because there is an ingrediant called Bromelaine in it which helps with sore throats and any swelling. I drink it but also I throw my head back and make the juice sit at the back of my throat or I will garggle with it as well. As the day procedes, my Uvula has shrunken back to normal.

The uvula can become enlarged for a number of reasons, either way... take ibuprofen for swelling, Tylenol for any pain, and gargle with warm salt water and within a few days the problem should resolve! If it is due to sinus issues, you should/could also have other symptoms, such as: pressure in your lower forehead, swelling and or pain around your nose or eyes, possible drainage, and possibly fever and or sluggish feeling... if that is the case go in to the doctor and you will probably be subscribed an antibiotic.. other wise keep to the basics and the best of luck!

It's amazing that this forum has been going on for almost 9 years now! Yesterday I woke up with the same gagging, choking on what felt like phelm scenario as most are describing. I had never experienced this before, and I had no idea a uvula was capable of this. I am so thankful I stumbled on this page, as I was having a minor panic attack thinking I needed to go to the ER. (Due to the recession, I've been unemployed for 2 years and don't have health insurance, so the thought of having to go to a doctor, let alone the ER is scary.) After calming myself down, and reading a few pages, I tried Ibuprofen, and gargling salt water. And it seriously worked wonders. I believe my problem was a mixture of things. It's about 30 degrees here at night, and we have a fan on while sleeping, which makes the room dry. I also for some odd reason had decided to try sleeping on my back, instead of sleeping on my side as I always do, and I sleep with my mouth open which cases me to have dry mouth. The other issue was, our house was without water for the past few days (due to a busted pipe) and so I basically only consumed soda and juice those few days. So I think the combination of dehydration, dry mouth, and dry room caused this for me. I took ibuprofen every 6 hours, gargled salt water probably every 3 hours, and drank 6 17oz bottles of water. When I went to bed last night I made sure to sleep on mu side, and only breathe out of my nose. I had a bottle of water by my bed, and I took a sip when I felt my mouth even a little dry. Today when I woke up I have only felt a little tickle in my throat, and a little soreness which I would assume is normal after all my uvula, and throat have been through. The ibuprofen, and salt water seriously helped with the swelling, 20 minutes after taking ibuprofen, my uvula had shrank and was no longer flopping on my tongue, and everytime I would feel it get a little irritated I would gargle and the irritation went away. I'm sure this won't work for everyone, because it sounds like there are several reasons as to why this swollen uvula thing occurs, but I recommend trying it because it saved me from spending my mortgage on going to the doctors office. A big Thank you to those who have contributed over the years, I'm so glad I found this page.

a spoon of honey will help for sure, just make sure to keep it in your mouth as long as you can.

The past three days I have been experiencing a "lump in my throat" I was complaining to my parents saying that I had something about the size of a peanut but felt like a cotton swab stuck in my throat. I started searching the internet for things such as "swollen hangy thing in the back of your throat" (I later found out that it is called your uvula" and found this sight. I am very pleased to see that I am not the only one having these problems! I was worried I had some rare, unknown condition and would eventually die.. just kidding! But I hope it goes away soon because it is very, VERY aggrivating.

I hate this I've had flu like symptoms for the past few days swollen lymph nodes, terrible sinus headaches, pain to swallow, etc. I took some Advil and it helped the terrible pain that swallowing brought me when I woke up. My uvula is terribly swollen and long it has almost no challenge sliding down my tongue if I tilt my head forward even slightly. I doubt it has very much of a gag reflex anymore. It feels very slimy on my tongue and my sinuses have lost it. Please tell me when it will end. Spring break is nearly over and I don't want to need to stay home after spring break. It also has made my voice sound slightly obstructed and higher pitched.

Just found this site'

For 16 months have had cough (clearish/whiteish slimy stuff in throat) been to ENT and Pulmonologist, had CT's of chest and sinus. Tried all kinds of sprays, inhalers, pills, rinse etc..

Nothing worked and doctors did'nt have answer.

Last week tried a new ENT doctor and within 10 minutes he said I needed a "Partial Uveloctomy" (cut the tip off) as he thinks my Uvela is too long and causing the problem.

Has anybody there had a "Partial Uveloctomy"?

Please respond with thoughts.

Thanks

I am actually going to the ENT for the same EXACT thing Thursday!

I think sore throat and enlarged uvula are two separate issues, in my case at least.

This is what definitely happened to me.
-I do have a snoring problem (to the point it worries my wife that I'm not breathing.
-I do have allergies. I take Zyrtec daily and Mucinex D when its worse. I get sore throats from this constant dripping. I also snore because I have difficulty breathing through my nose.
-I also have acid-reflux

This past weekend we went to a three day Country music festival. To say the least I consumed at least 3 cases of beer, plus some, from Thursday to Saturday night.
-Thursday night I slept on the ground outside in a sleeping bag. it got cold in the morning.
-Friday night I slept on an air mattress, but was unable to sleep on my side, and was actually surprised I slept so well sleeping on my back due to snoring which usually wakes me up at night. Saturday morning I woke up with the feeling that a chunk of the roof of my mouth was hanging down. I looked in the mirror and saw my uvula hanging down clear to my tongue. It almost looked paralyzed. I had to hang my head to left or right or forward or extremely backward to swallow. There was no pain at this point.
By the end of Saturday night I was starting to get hoarse and a sore throat. My throat was red, my uvula had a white film on it and a lump on the upper right. Sunday morning woke up with sore throat and feeling like i was going to choke on my uvula. I was also having drainage problems from allergies that was irritating my throat. And the same Monday. Monday night I played in a poker tournament and noticed that the sore throat and uvula problem was helped by drinking and soaking back of throat with cold salt water. today is Tuesday and I still have sore throat and and read the previously posted forums. The salt and pepper coating on my uvula definitely helped the uvula. I do intend to get some warm salt water to gargle for the sore throat, which I believe is caused by the sinus drainage as I've had this problem before. I just don't have any Mucinex D to dry it up to stop the irritation. BTW did anyone watch the suggested video below "Learn about your Uvula" it was an excerpt from Dr. Oz show. they actually scope a woman's throat to show the uvula and then scope her nose to watch her swallow applesauce. It was kinda cool and gross at the same time.