Ground Report

There have been several times in my life when I’ve woke up in the middle of the night and as I tried to swallow I had to actually scream because the pain was excruciating and it was like I had something blocking my air passage.

If you’ve ever experienced anything like this, you probably already know that you have had a swollen Uvula. I must admit that the first time I got it I was scared out of my wits and I was thinking all sorts of medical issues.

If this happens to you and you’ve never experienced it before, you’ll probably jump up and run to a mirror opening your mouth as wide as you can and you’ll see this swollen, fleshy piece of flesh hanging down from the soft palate above the back of your tongue.

Your heart will be pounding and you’ll begin to get all sorts of medical problems running through your mind. You’ll run back into the bedroom to wake-up your spouse, telling him you believe you’ve contracted a terrible disease.

Don’t be alarmed if this happens to you and yes it is okay for you to scream when the pain is unbearable and you feel you cannot stand it another minute. It’s alright too if you gag because you have this large piece of flesh hanging down on your tongue. Fret no more if you read this article because you’re experiencing your first swollen Uvula.

If you’re a person who often suffers from tonsillitis, viral and/or bacterial infections of the throat, suffer with sinus, or you have a lot of allergies, you’ll be experiencing the "dreaded" swollen Uvula. 

This condition can be caused from one of the above problems just mentioned or it can be from an extremely dry throat caused from sleeping on your back and with your mouth wide open while you inhale and exhale. I’ve notice this especially in the winter time and when the heat is on and there’s no humidifer in the house.

I’m going to give you some tips on what I do to get rid of the swollen Uvula and free myself from the severe pain and from sounding like Donald Duck. Listed below are a few of my remedies:

(1) Gargle your throat with a glass of hot salt water, repeating several times and then drink a couple cups of hot tea or coffee. This has helped me a lot.

(2) Chew on ice chips; it will reduce the swelling.

(3) Use a throat spray if you have one.

(4) I’ve found that eucalyptus cough drops are excellent.

(5) Take a couple of Tylenol tablets if you feel feverish, have a sinus infection, or feel like your coming down with the flu.

(6) Seek a professional medical doctor’s advice if your throat is not better by the late afternoon.  

I dread winter months because I suffer two or three episodes of a swollen Uvula a season. It’s very painful and it can scare the wits out of you when you’ve never experienced it before. It’s important to seek a professional’s advice if the condition lasts until the next day. 

I’ve had my Uvula to swell so large that it actually affected by swallowing and breathing. If this should happen to you, don’t wait seek help.

Barbara Kasey Smith is the sole writer of this article and it is based on her past experiences with a swollen Uvula.