Swelling on the roof of the mouth

introduction

Swelling of the palate can have different causes. The swelling first becomes clear to the person affected by the fact that he or she feels an unusual feeling in the area of ​​the otherwise very sensitive palate. A furry feeling is also often described. When the palate is swollen, the palate always increases in size, i.e. it becomes thicker and can be depressed in the places where it is swollen.

Read more on the subject: Bump on the roof of the mouth

causes

There are several causes of palate swelling. Many are harmless and regress quickly, but others can be the beginning of a life-threatening illness. A very common cause of swelling of the palate is burns from hot food. Everyone has probably eaten or drank a little too hot and then felt an unpleasant sensation on the palate. This is because the receptors of the nerve endings are too irritated and desensitized for a time (made insensitive to stimuli) were. In addition to this sensory disorder, the palate also swells a little in the area of ​​this burn. Most of the time, the symptoms subside within a few hours and do not pose a major threat.

Read more on this topic at: Burned palate

Far more dangerous is the allergic reaction, which can also lead to palate swelling. Allergies can occur after ingesting all kinds of foods or drugs. Most of the time, those affected do not know anything about these allergies. Within a few minutes after ingesting a certain food or medicine (e.g. Antibiotics or pain relievers) swelling in various areas of the throat, often the tongue, lips or palate. These reactions of the body are called what is called an immediate reaction and are also known as anaphylactic reaction. They make it necessary to act quickly, because the untreated swelling of the palate can lead to dangerous obstruction of the airways.

In the context of tonsillitis, inflammation of the oral mucosa or scarlet fever, the inflammatory reaction can lead to swelling on the palate.

Also read: Swollen palate

Swelling of the palate during a cold

With a cold there is a swelling of the mucous membranes in the area of ​​the nose and possibly also the sinuses. The so-called maxillary sinus (maxillary sinus) is located on both sides of the nose and can also swell with a severe cold. Rarely, the swelling can reach so far that the palate increases in size.
Most of the time it is a very strong cold with accompanying purulent sinusitis. Those affected often do not notice the swelling of the palate when looking at all the complaints.

Read more on this topic at: Sinus infection

The fact that the palate swells so much from a cold that breathing, swallowing or even speech problems arise, usually does not happen. If this is the case, you should first try to cool the palate (e.g. with ice cream and cold water). Furthermore, decongestant nasal drops should be used to quickly decongest the mucous membranes. In addition, if there is no allergy, an anti-inflammatory painkiller can also be taken, which can also cause the palate to swell.

Read more on this topic at: Symptoms of a cold

Palate swelling after an operation

In major operations, patients are mostly intubated, i.e. During the procedure, a tube is inserted into the windpipe for ventilation. As a rule, this routine procedure can be carried out without any problems. However, it can always happen that the irritation with the tube causes a swelling of the palate during the operation. This usually goes unnoticed, as the airways are kept open by the tube.
Patients usually become aware of this swelling after awakening, which is described as very unusual and uncomfortable. Sometimes there is also a swelling of the palate a few days after the operation.

Read more on the topic: Post-op swelling

Swelling of the palate is relatively common during operations on the throat and jaw. The reason for this is that pulling and pushing movements carried out during the operation can cause minor injuries in the area of ​​the palate, so that fluid flows into the roof of the mouth. This leads to a temporary and soon receding swelling.
Something similar happens after pulling a tooth. By keeping the mouth open for a long time, by pulling, pulling and pushing movements, these microtraumas can also occur in the area of ​​the palate, which results in a mostly harmless temporary swelling.

Also read our topic: extract a tooth

Inflammation of the gums

Inflammation of the gums (Gingivitis) is often the cause of swelling and pain in the roof of the mouth. In the event of an injury to the gums or an inflammation of the tooth root, bacteria get into the gums and cause massive discomfort. In the immediate vicinity of the palate are the tonsils (Tonsils), which are part of the body's own defense system. Immune cells come into contact with the pathogens, migrate to the site of the infection and cause inflammation, the typical symptom of which is swelling of the surrounding tissue - including the palate.

Read more on this topic at: Inflammation of the gums

allergy

An allergic reaction or food intolerance often leads to symptoms in the head area. In addition to watery eyes and a runny nose, this also includes swelling of the mucous membrane in the palate area. The swelling is often associated with itchy pain, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty breathing. Common triggers are pollen, dust mites, pet dander, or foods that contain histamine (such as tomatoes, seafood, or cheese).

Typically, the first symptoms appear just a few minutes after contact with the allergen (the allergenic substance). The cause is a hypersensitivity reaction, in which the immune system classifies the actually harmless allergen as dangerous and initiates an inflammatory reaction. The inflammation causes itching and severe swelling of the mucous membranes. If an allergy or food intolerance is suspected, a doctor should be consulted who will carry out an allergy test and thus confirm the diagnosis.

Read more on this topic at: allergy

therapy

If a swelling of the palate occurs, the cause must first be found. Treat swelling after surgery or after pulling a tooth than after taking an antibiotic tablet or an insect bite. Often the palate swells completely after a short time (e.g. after 1-2 days), which means that further treatment is no longer necessary. However, if there is no decongestion, a doctor must be consulted.
He will first try to remove the swelling with anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen etc. If this does not succeed, he will presumably also have an X-ray of the jaw made to find out a corresponding cause.
Another option for drug treatment is the administration of cortisone. The effect occurs quickly, the intake should take place over a period of about a week and during this time the dosage should be reduced step by step.
Palate swellings that occur after taking a drug should be treated quickly to prevent dangerous airway obstruction. Cortisone or Fenistil® is also used here, mostly in high doses and administered via the vein. Here, too, the improvement usually occurs quickly
In the following days the patients should take cortisone in tablet form and reduce the dosage bit by bit.

Home remedies for palate swelling

In the case of harmless swelling of the palate, e.g. in the case of a cold or a burn from hot drinks or food, consistent cooling is often sufficient. This can be done with ice cream or cold water, which should be held in the mouth for a few minutes before swallowing. In addition to decongesting swelling, these measures also have a relieving effect if pain has occurred in addition to swelling.
Another measure to reduce the swelling of the palate is to change your food for a short time. Hard foods should not be eaten and softer foods should be consumed for a day or two.
You can also try e.g. Accelerate the swelling of the palate by gargling different solutions. A good medicinal plant that does this and that works well as a gargle solution is chamomile. Gargling should be done 2-3 times a day until the palate has subsided.

Duration

The duration of a swelling on the roof of the mouth depends on the trigger. When the roof of the mouth swells from mechanical injury or irritation, it usually takes a few days for the wound to heal and the swelling to go away. Viral and bacterial inflammation may also cause swelling in the palate. In such cases, the duration of the swelling depends on the duration of the disease. A flu-like infection is usually caused by viruses and is usually cured after five to seven days, whereas bacterial infections (for example a purulent tonsillitis caused by streptococcal bacteria) are more persistent and require antibiotic therapy.

forecast

Swelling in the roof of the mouth has a good prognosis in most cases. Often the swollen palate is caused by small injuries or infections in the ear, nose and throat area. After the infection has healed, the swelling will go away quickly. In rare cases, however, complications can arise, for example if the roof of the mouth is so swollen that breathing or eating causes problems. In such cases, the patient must immediately contact a doctor or the nearest hospital.

Symptoms

Palate swelling causes a variety of symptoms. Most of the time, the symptoms start with a strange feeling. Those affected perceive the palate as less sensitive than usual, have a furry, sometimes even numb feeling. They also feel a kind of alien feeling when they bump the roof of their mouth with their tongue.
Sometimes it can also be that the roof of the mouth can be dented if it is severely swollen. This means that when you press it with your finger, it recedes a few millimeters, but then returns to its original position.

Since the palate is also responsible for language and swallowing, when the palate swells, it can occasionally lead to unclear pronunciation.
In order to carry out a swallowing process, besides numerous other muscle involvements, the pressure of the tongue on the palate is necessary. If the palate is swollen, it can happen that the swallowing process is disturbed and it becomes difficult to swallow.
With strong allergic reactions it can happen that the palate swells strongly, also in the rear area at the transition to the esophagus. In this case, there is a risk that, in addition to breathing problems (with very heavy obstructions), there will also be problems with swallowing, because the chyme must be moved through a severe constriction.

Concomitant symptoms

Red spots on the palate

A swollen palate can be associated with other complaints. If you have an allergic reaction or a food intolerance, small red spots often form on the lining of the swollen palate. These spots are usually harmless and arise as part of the body's immune response. In addition to the swelling and red spots on the roof of the mouth, itching or tingling in the oral mucosa often occurs. Another cause of red spots on the swollen roof of the mouth is a bacterial strep infection, which causes scarlet fever. Here, too, the spots are due to the body's own defense reaction.

Read more on this topic at: Red spots on the palate

Pain on the roof of the mouth

Swelling on the roof of the mouth is usually associated with pain. Numerous vessels and nerves run in the mucous membrane of the palate, which makes it very sensitive to pain. A swelling causes the skin over the palate to become stretched and the tissue hurts. The quality of the pain differs depending on the cause of the swelling: allergic reactions lead to painful itching on the palate, whereas injuries cause throbbing pain. Infections in the ENT area that trigger a swelling of the palate are usually associated with difficulty swallowing and pressing palate pain.

Read more on this topic at: Palate pain

difficulties swallowing

The palate consists of two parts: a front soft palate (palatum molle) and the back part, which merges into the bone (palatum durum). Swelling of the mucous membrane can occur in both areas and often leads to difficulty swallowing and speaking. If the swelling is very severe, the patient may no longer be able to swallow and consequently no longer be able to take any food. Then a doctor must be consulted, since in such cases artificial nutrition through infusions may be necessary.

Read more on this topic at: difficulties swallowing

Pain in the upper jaw

The upper jaw represents the roof of the mouth. It consists of a large, rigid upper jawbone attached to the base of the skull. The teeth of the upper jaw are embedded in the bones and firmly anchored. The bone itself is not movable, but the movable and foldable lower jaw is fixed to the upper jawbone through the temporomandibular joints. Strong lateral pulling muscles ensure that appropriate chewing and speech movements can be performed. Since the masticatory muscles are among the strongest muscles in the body, stability of the upper jaw is urgently needed.

On the underside of the upper jaw is the bony palate, which is expanded into a muscle plate by tough and strong muscles. The palate and the upper jaw have to absorb a not inconsiderable amount of force every day. Due to the close proximity of the palate and upper jaw, this can quickly be affected by a swelling of the palate.
Injuries to the upper jaw, e.g. after an accident, can lead to a fracture of the upper jawbone, which results in instability. Chewing movements can no longer be carried out without hesitation and there is a risk of dangerous displacements in the area. Such fractures are usually accompanied by very severe swelling. Most of the time, stabilizing surgery is necessary in this case.

Read more on this topic at: Upper jaw pain

Swelling of the uvula

The uvula sits in the middle of the soft palate (uvula). In the case of sore throats, this uvula is often swollen. In addition to viral infections, an allergic reaction or irritation of the uvula mucosa (e.g. burns from hot drink or soup) can lead to swelling of the uvula. Other causes include tonsillitis, chickenpox, diphtheria, and measles. Those affected suffer from swallowing difficulties due to the swelling and feel an uncomfortable tightness in the throat. Speaking as well as eating and drinking often cause great problems.

Read more on this topic at: Inflammation in the throat

Structure and function of the palate

The palate represents the roof of the mouth and is the spatial boundary between the mouth and throat area and the base of the skull. It is an area with tight muscles, nerves, blood vessels and skin that is very sensitive to pain, heat and cold. It takes on important tasks in the swallowing function, because it acts as an abutment of the tongue in order to transport ingested food that has been chewed down into the esophagus. Furthermore, the palate plays an important role in the speaking process, because when forming syllables, the tongue always comes up to the palate at regular intervals and repels itself against it.