Anatomy-Lexicon

Soft palate

What is the soft palate?

The soft palate (lat. Velum palatinum) is a flexible and soft continuation of the hard palate. This continuation appears as a soft tissue fold and consists of connective tissue, muscles and mucous membrane. It is often referred to as a soft palate due to its composition.

The soft palate can be directed obliquely or perpendicularly to the base of the tongue and delimits the oral cavity from the pharynx. It thus serves to demarcate the air and the food route. The soft palate continues to perform articulation tasks to enable oral and nasal sounds.

anatomy

The soft palate consists of connective tissue, various muscles that radiate into the soft palate, and mucous membrane.

On the side of the soft palate facing the oral cavity, there is a so-called multi-layer, uncornified squamous epithelium as the upper layer. On the side facing the throat, however, there is the respiratory ciliated epithelium typical of the respiratory tract.

The so-called palatal aponeurosis, a fibrous plate of connective tissue, forms the basis of the soft palate.

Vessels and nerves flow here and supply the soft palate by connecting it to the bloodstream and the nervous system.

At the edge of the soft palate, double folds form on both sides, known as the palatal arches. The uvula, known as the uvula, forms in the middle.

At this point is the so-called Ah line. This is a boundary line between the hard and soft palate that appears when the A vowel is articulated. This line is used in dental prosthetics as the maximum expansion limit for full dentures. If a prosthesis were oversized, the soft palate would lever it out further back and it would no longer have a hold.

Palate muscles

The palate muscles, consisting of various muscles, radiate into the palatal aponeurosis. The muscles of the palate include:

Tenseor veli palatini muscle
Levator veli palatini muscle
Uvulae muscle
Palatoglossus muscle
Pharyngoglossus muscle

The palatoglossus muscle is also assigned to the external tongue muscles, while the pharyngoglossus muscle also belongs to the throat muscles.

All the muscles of the soft palate move the soft palate and thus support the process of swallowing. Furthermore, the palate muscles ensure that the oral cavity is separated from the nasopharynx.

function

The main task of the soft soft palate is to delimit the oral cavity from the pharynx and the related separation of air and food. During the act of swallowing, the soft palate is pushed through the opening into it Pharyngeal constrictor muscle pressed against a bulge of the back wall of the pharynx. This creates a kind of seal when swallowing, which ensures that no food or liquids get into the airway.

The muscles Musculi tensor veli palatini and levator veli palatini always ensure pressure equalization when swallowing or yawning.

In addition to the task of the soft palate during swallowing, it takes on another important role in articulation. When speaking, the soft palate rises and is also pressed against the bulge of the back of the pharynx. In this way the nasal cavity is separated from the oropharynx.

The airflow from the lungs can flow freely through the throat and mouth. Oral sounds result. If the oral cavity is closed, nasal sounds can arise because the phonation current can now flow away through the nose. Nasal vowels are created when the velum, i.e. the soft palate, lowers and the air flow from the lungs can escape simultaneously via the mouth and nose.

What is a soft palate sound?

A soft palate sound is called a velar or velar sound in the technical jargon of phonetics. It is a linguistic sound on the soft palate, lat. Velum palatinum, is produced.

An articulation with a complete closure of the posterior back of the tongue with the soft palate is differentiated from an articulation in which the posterior back of the tongue only comes very close to the soft palate. In the field of phonetics, sounds are characterized by the position of the back of the tongue during articulation. The soft palate, i.e. the velum, can be lowered and air can also flow out or lifted through the nasal cavity.

In the latter case, the air flows exclusively through the oral cavity. The soft palate is thus a place of articulation. This means that it represents a target of movement for the speech organs that are movable relative to the soft palate, such as the tongue. A velar, i.e. a soft palate sound, is formed, for example, with the -ng sound in German.

Disorders affecting the soft palate

snoring

If the elasticity of the muscles of the upper respiratory tract decreases during sleep, the muscles and the surrounding tissue relax. The result is a narrowing of the airways and turbulence in the breathing air. The slack soft palate and uvula begin to vibrate through the airflow. The characteristic snoring noises arise.

Both anatomical conditions, such as the position of the tongue in relation to the back wall of the pharynx or a very large uvula and age-related changes can be the cause of snoring.

There are two different types of snoring. One speaks of so-called primary or simple snoring, provided that the breathing rhythm or one's own sleep quality are not impaired. Primary snoring is not dangerous for the snore himself.

However, if snoring is accompanied by pauses in breathing, one speaks of obstructive or apneaic snoring. The body reacts to the short-term loss of oxygen with a reflex activation of the respiratory muscles and increased activity of the heart. This type of snoring, as a possible consequence of a disease or a change in the soft palate, can have serious health consequences.

In any case, those affected should consult a doctor.

Read more on this topic below: Snoring - What to do?

Swelling of the soft palate

Swelling on the soft palate can have various different causes. In most cases, the swelling has spread and affects other areas of the mouth or throat in addition to the soft palate. These include:

Burns from hot food or drinks
bacterial or viral infections
allergic reaction

Allergic reactions do not only show up on the skin. The mucous membranes of the mouth and throat are also very sensitive to allergies and can swell. Inflammation, caused by bacterial or viral infections, can also cause swelling of the soft palate. When infected, the soft palate and swelling in the surrounding area are often accompanied by difficulty swallowing, fever, and other symptoms of an infection.

The treatment of the swollen soft palate always depends on the cause. These include, for example, cooling for burns, antibiotics for infections or home remedies to combat the cause.

Read more on the topic: Swelling on the roof of the mouth

Inflammation of the soft palate

Inflammation of the soft palate is often accompanied by inflammation and swelling of the uvula. Often it is inflammation of the throat, especially of the tonsils or the oral mucosa, that spreads to the soft palate. The inflammation of the soft palate can also be caused by tonsillitis.

Inflammation of the soft palate, which is usually accompanied by redness, swelling, warming and pain in the affected area, is usually treated with antibiotics by the attending physician. The typical symptoms of inflammation usually include fever and difficulty swallowing.

In the event of inflammation, it is imperative to see a doctor to combat the cause of the inflammation. Antibiotics are essential in most cases. The use of home remedies is suitable for supportive therapy in the event of inflammation. However, they do not replace the need for an antibiotic.

Read more about the topic under: Inflammation on the roof of the mouth

Soft palate paresis / soft palate paralysis

A soft palate paresis describes a paralysis of the soft palate in medical terminology. A distinction is made between a unilateral, i.e. one-sided, and a bilateral, i.e. bilateral, paresis. Paresis of the soft palate can result from an injury to the Vagus nerve, the 10th cranial nerve. Furthermore, the soft palate paresis can also be a late complication of a diphtheria (= an infectious disease caused by a certain pathogen) be.

In the symptoms, one-sided soft palate pareses are expressed by a so-called backdrop phenomenon. This describes the deviation of the back wall of the pharynx towards the healthy side, since the pharyngeal muscles (= Throat muscles) has lost its functionality.

Bilateral paresis of the soft palate usually has disorders of the swallowing process ( Dysphagia) or loss of voice. The reason for this lies in the lack of delimitation of the oral cavity from the nasopharynx during speaking and swallowing due to the inoperability of the muscles.

Soft palate surgery / soft palate tightening

Surgery on the soft palate is a measure taken in patients who may experience pauses in breathing as a result of airway narrowing caused by a large uvula or a slack soft palate.

During an operation, the uvula is shortened in most cases and the soft palate is tightened in order to prevent further narrowing of the airways. There are various methods that can be used to tighten the soft palate.

The pauses in breathing caused by snoring or airway narrowing can mean that those affected do not get enough oxygen during sleep. This puts a heavy strain on the cardiovascular system. The operation on the soft palate is performed under general anesthesia.To feel better prepared for this, read our topic: General anesthesia - procedure, risks and side effects

As with any operation, this also involves risks for the patient. This can lead to bleeding, tooth damage, nerve damage and, as a result, taste disturbances, infections of the wound or a feeling of foreign bodies in the throat.

Furthermore, the operation does not guarantee a complete disappearance of snoring. Although an operation is a successful measure against snoring in many cases, this can occur again in the future after the operation. In any case, you should always get a second opinion about an operation on the soft palate.

Pain after surgery

Pain after an operation on the soft palate is not atypical and is a common healing pain. The operation on the soft palate is an invasive procedure. The skin must first regenerate and strengthen itself. The pain is usually accompanied by swelling in the surgical area. The wound area is also very sensitive, which puts careful treatment in the first place.

Doctor-prescribed pain relievers, such as ibuprofen, may be taken to prevent pain. Here you have to pay particular attention to your diet. In order for the wound to heal faster and better, it must not be damaged and opened by hard food such as nuts. In addition, alcohol and spicy foods should be avoided.

Furthermore, you should exercise less physically than usual and do without the warmth for a certain time. The last factor in particular can provoke inflammation.

What do you need soft palate training for?

The exercises to train the soft palate are versatile. Through targeted training of the soft palate, the palate and throat muscles can be strengthened and tightened.

Above all, this can help counteract snoring, because strengthening the palate muscles can counteract the cause of snoring.

Furthermore, soft palate exercises are also used in the field of professional singing or speech therapy.

What does a soft palate training look like?

There are many different exercises that can be used to train the soft palate. Singing is recommended as the easiest way to train the throat and palate muscles. Singing can also train the respiratory muscles. There are also tongue and mouth exercises by the (also age-related) Relaxation of the respiratory muscles can be counteracted.

In one exercise, the tip of the tongue should be pressed against the roof of the mouth and moved as far back as possible towards the throat (20x). In the same way, the entire tongue should now be sucked against the roof of the mouth and then pressed against it (20x).

Another exercise is to push the back of the tongue down while the tip of the tongue touches the inside of the lower incisors (20x).

Training the jaw and face muscles can also be beneficial in order to strengthen the palate muscles. There are many other exercises that can be used in training the soft palate. In order to achieve the desired effectiveness, the exercises should preferably be performed for the same time each day.

What is soft palate nystagmus?

A soft palate nystagmus is a rhythmic unilateral or bilateral contraction of the palate muscles with accompanying twitching of the uvula. The rapid flicker movements are referred to as Myorrhythmia. Due to the rhythmic opening of the connecting tube from the mouth to the ear, there is a clicking noise in the ear, which both the person concerned and the doctor can hear with the stethoscope.

The soft palate nystagmus can have various causes. These can be divided into mechanical causes, causes in the central nervous system (CNS), such as a localized infarction, psychogenic causes or a deliberate cause. However, the twitching is often based on a disease process in the brain.