Inflammation in the mouth on the palate: why it occurs and what to do about it
The palate in humans is responsible for articulation, the passage of inhaled and exhaled air, including tobacco smoke, and takes part in chewing food. Often, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity affect this organ. In this case, its functions and usual way of life are disrupted, and discomfort is felt. If your palate is swollen, there is a burning sensation and pain when swallowing, you should consult a doctor. Only a specialist will determine the cause of the unpleasant symptom and tell you what to do.
The reasons for the appearance of superstitions and signs about the red sunset
The atmosphere of our planet consists of various solid and dust particles, as well as water vapor. Having their own density, they refract the sun's rays differently. Any color wave is fundamentally electromagnetic. When the sun is at its zenith in the middle of the day, its rays have to overcome a small height, and at this moment we observe only their white spectrum. The air seems transparent.
The lower the sun is above the horizon, the more difficult it is for the rays to overcome the layers of the atmosphere, therefore the longer the path. As a result of scattering, we can observe the red spectrum that colors the sky. The remaining shades of the spectrum are absorbed by particles in the air. Such a sky simply could not help but attract the attention of our great-grandmothers. They carefully observed nature and left us a lot of valuable advice.
Upper palate: anatomical features
The palate is a horizontal partition separating the oral and nasal cavities. It consists of two parts:
- Solid. Formed by a bone plate, it has a concave shape and a pale pink color. Occupies 2/3 of the sky.
- Soft. Separates the pharynx from the oral cavity. It has a red color with a pink tint. Occupies the remaining third of the organ.
The palate is covered with a fibrous (mucous) membrane that has many nerve endings. It is she who takes the blow from the influence of unfavorable factors.
Causes of dry mouth that are not pathological
In some cases, dry mouth is not associated with a medical condition. For example:
- Dry mouth can occur in the morning and at night due to intoxication. This is a typical situation after drinking too much the night before.
- When nasal breathing is impaired, a person breathes through his mouth during sleep. The mouth is slightly open, and the oral mucosa dries out faster. Nasal breathing can be impaired due to a runny nose, nasal polyps, or a deviated nasal septum. A similar situation occurs with snoring. The cause of snoring in most cases is a decrease in the tone of the soft palate. Muscle weakening develops with age. This is why older people snore more often, and their oral mucosa becomes dry. This reason explains dry mouth in the morning in the elderly in most cases.
- If you don't drink enough fluids in hot weather, you shouldn't be surprised by dry mouth. A similar effect can be caused by eating highly salted foods.
- Many medications can cause dry mouth.
- Smoking is another common cause of dry mouth.
- Dry mouth can be one of the symptoms of menopause.
Why does the upper palate become inflamed?
The causes of inflammation of the upper palate can be different:
- Infections, viruses, fungus.
- Injury, for example, when eating solid food. In this case, inflammation often appears near the front teeth. Often, traces of injury are invisible, since the scratch may be located in the interdental space. You can get injured due to incorrect dental treatment or installation of low-quality dentures.
- Thermal or chemical burn. In this case, tumors may be visible, but everything is individual.
- Allergic reaction. Inflammation can occur in people prone to allergies.
- Endocrine disorders, in which hormonal imbalances are observed.
- Frequent smoking, which irritates the mucous membranes.
- Infectious diseases of the throat. For example, if it hurts and the palate is swollen, most likely this is the beginning of a sore throat.
- Neuralgia and pathologies of the temporomandibular joints.
- Benign and malignant neoplasms. In the first case, they can dissolve and burst, forming painful wounds.
- Pathologies of the salivary glands, provoked by the penetration and development of infection.
Most often, the problem is provoked by dental problems - caries, pulpitis, stomatitis, osteomyelitis, periodontal disease, etc. In this case, the palate becomes inflamed near the tooth. Often with carious lesions there are no noticeable traces of the pathogenic process. The disease progresses, and the infection penetrates deeper and deeper into the gum tissue, mucous membrane, and jaw bone.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons for swelling of the palate - from the most harmless to the serious. Therefore, you should not ignore the problem. The clinical picture is especially dangerous when the body temperature rises and pus appears on the palate. If left untreated, the disease can spread to neighboring tissues. In this case, surgery cannot be avoided.
Diseases that may cause dry mouth
Dry mouth can be caused by high fever and intoxication due to various infectious diseases (flu, sore throat, etc.). Diseases associated with large loss of fluid as a result of vomiting or diarrhea (cholera, dysentery) can also cause dry mouth. In such cases, dry mouth is one of many symptoms and does not attract special attention.
If dry mouth is combined with diarrhea, flatulence, belching, nausea and pain in the left side of the abdomen, then this may indicate pancreatitis.
Dry mouth in combination with a bitter taste, heartburn, white or yellow coating on the tongue can indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis.
Dry mouth can also occur with:
- diseases of the salivary glands;
- endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis);
- neoplasms of the oral cavity (benign and malignant);
- damage to nerve endings that contribute to the functioning of the salivary glands;
- anemia;
- vitamin A deficiency;
- systemic diseases (scleroderma, Sjogren's disease, cystic fibrosis).
Symptoms accompanying inflammation of the palate
To understand why the palate is swollen and determine what to do, the doctor first analyzes the symptoms of the pathology. Characteristic signs may include:
- pain that gets worse over time;
- difficulty and pain when swallowing;
- swelling and redness - the surface of the mucous membrane becomes hyperemic, when pressed, elasticity is felt;
- white plaque (appears with a fungal infection);
- bad breath;
- erosions and ulcerations on the palate and other parts of the oral cavity;
- fever - more often with throat diseases;
- purulent formations - speak of a sore throat or the penetration of bacteria into injured tissue;
- pain in the teeth or gums - indicates dental problems;
- compactions, tumors;
- general weakness.
With some pathologies, pain can be felt not only in the palate, but also in other parts of the oral cavity. It can also be localized only on one side, for example, with neuritis.
What does pink sky at sunset mean?
As a beam of white sunlight passes through the atmosphere to an observer, some of the colors of the beam are scattered by air molecules and airborne particles, changing the final color of the beam that the viewer sees. Light with a shorter wavelength is scattered more strongly.
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How to eliminate pathology
When it is difficult to determine what triggered the inflammatory process in the mouth and why the palate is swollen, you need to consult a therapist. If necessary, he will refer you to another specialist. Only after a thorough diagnosis will a specialist determine how to treat the inflammation. The choice of technique directly depends on the cause of inflammation. There are several treatment options:
- Rinsing with antiseptic solutions. For mild forms of pathology, decoctions of chamomile and calendula will help. Doctors often prescribe Chlorhexidine.
- Use of antifungal solutions and gels. The remedies are in demand for fungal inflammation. These can be drugs such as “Stomatofit”, “Rotokan”.
- The use of combined-action drugs, for example, "Cholisal-gel" - for severe inflammation and pain, regardless of the cause of its development.
- Prescription of local or systemic antibiotics. Therapy is indicated when inflammation is accompanied by a purulent process.
If inflammation is accompanied by severe pain, analgesics are prescribed. When allergens, viruses, fungi, and neurological problems are excluded, dental services may be needed.
You cannot self-medicate, as well as put off visiting a doctor. So, with gum disease, the destruction of enamel or the process of loosening of teeth can begin. Only a specialist can correctly determine what to do in each specific case. Therefore, when the first symptoms occur, you should immediately seek help. Timely treatment reduces the risk of side effects to a minimum.
Diagnostics
To cure plaque in the mouth on the roof of your mouth, you need to find out the cause of the disease. To do this, you need to carry out diagnostic procedures. Research begins with a visual examination and medical history. Besides:
- A clinical and sugar blood test is done;
- A scraping is taken from the pathological area;
- Submits urine for analysis;
Blood is tested for viruses and fungi. A biopsy of the affected tissue is performed. Also, the body’s defenses are assessed and the sensitivity of drugs to the pathogen is determined. If there is a suspicion of the development of syphilis, a special Wasserman test is used. Giardiasis is clarified using instrumental diagnostics of the abdominal organs. After laboratory tests, the correct prescription can be made.
How to prevent inflammation of the palate
A swollen upper palate is an unpleasant symptom that is easier to prevent than to treat. To do this, you need to follow simple rules of prevention:
- brush your teeth twice a day, after each meal, rinse your mouth with mouthwash or at least water;
- consume warm food and drinks;
- eat a balanced diet, walk more, toughen up, that is, increase immunity, which will prevent the development of inflammation;
- give up bad habits to prevent injury to the mucous membrane;
- visit the dentist periodically - this will allow you to identify diseases at an early stage of their development and provide timely treatment;
- minimize stressful situations.
You should stop eating crackers, chips and candies. Not only are these foods not part of a healthy diet, but they can also injure the palate. The child needs to be explained that he should not put foreign objects in his mouth.
Prevention measures
Preventive measures come down to following simple rules:
- brush your teeth at least twice a day; - use mouth rinses every time after meals; - Avoid eating excessively hot food; — enrich the diet with vitamins and microelements to increase local immunity.
Elimination of stressful situations, a balanced diet, regular visits to the dentist and examination of the body - all these actions are reliable prevention of the development of inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
How to treat inflammation of the palate depends on the causes of the development of the inflammatory process and its symptoms. To determine an accurate diagnosis, you should visit the dentist's office.
This article is for informational purposes only, please consult your doctor for details!
Gray sky of bad weather
Now it’s clear why autumn bad weather and winter slush make the sky hopelessly gray. A large amount of water vapor in the atmosphere leads to the scattering of all components of a white light beam without exception. Light rays are crushed into tiny droplets and water molecules, losing their direction and mixing throughout the entire range of the spectrum.
Therefore, light rays reach the surface as if passed through a giant scattering lampshade. We perceive this phenomenon as the grayish-white color of the sky. As soon as moisture is removed from the atmosphere, the sky again becomes bright blue.
