Talk:Uvula

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The uvula is lymphoid tissue, this should be placed within this article at some point. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.233.78.45 (talk) 19:43, 15 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

This is incorrect. Where did you read that the uvula is lymphoid tissue? Prophylax (talk) 14:51, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

This topic was defaced by a member from 4chan with the somewhat hidden ", such as /b/."

My uvula usually becomes swollen after drinking a lot of alchohol, especially spirits. When I wake up I feel that I am going to Swallow my uvula. It helps when I sleep for a little bit longer then usual (about 10 hours). It makes me worry that there is something wrong with me, but I know that it is definetly related with alcohol consumption. Best to drink less hey!!!

My uvula had swollen to the size of a grape once. This had happened once before. The first time it went away after an hour of sucking ice and gargling with cold water. The second time it grew to the size of a grape. Cold water didn't help, so I had called a relative to take me to the hospital. There the doctors at the emergincy room gave me an IVE with a steroid and an antiallergin. Two shots of antiallergins through the IVE and 5 hours later they sent me home.

I trace it back to alcohol. High proof vodka was the problem. It didn't happen all at once, the alcohol numbed it. However, while trying to sleep, it grew so big that it woke me up gagging. The best thing to do if you are gagging is to remain calm...It sounds stupid, but when you get worked up you breathe heaver and panic which makes it a lot worse. What I do is put on a Pink Floyd DVD and let it drift me back to sleep. All it takes is time. Now I am more concious about the damn uvula so I have become some sort of psycosamatic. I constantly worry that it will happen again. I quit drinking, cut down on smoking, and cut down on coffee. My social life is scarred. Most of the time I just want it removed.

Thought I should pop in my exp here. Similar thing happened to me and indeed, just gotta stay calm and breathe through your nose. I couldnt even speak. Usual causes are burns and viral things. Nothing long term, and nothing too serious, providing you dont choke on it, but im not a doctor.

I severely doubt that ANY child has EVER injured anyone trying to imitate the 'punching bag uvula' thing in cartoons. All in favor to remove that bit?

I was personally injured in this manner during my childhood. I was five years old, and was watching a cartoon with my friend. He saw one of those damnable scenes, and decided that it would be humorous to try: on me! Before I could say anything, he had reached to the back of my throat, grabbed my uvula, and stretched it to insane proportions. It was intensely painful, and it has remained elongated all of these years. It scarred me emotionally during this time, as well. Whenever I would sneeze, the uvula would retract into my sinus cavity and emerge from one of my nostrils, which caused me to have very few friends when I was growing up.

Your touching story has convinced me that this warning MUST INDEED REMAIN. Keep on truckin', brother.

08/08/05 I have been diagnosed with uvulitis and my uvula inflammation matches the description of the first one on this page ("My uvula had swollen to the size of a grape"). It is quite simmilar to the appearance of a red grape. I tried to say uvula as much as possible because it such a funny word (and has also appeared in the Cartoon Network cartoon Cow and Chicken). The GP (General Practitioner) concluded that I had a bacterial infection, and therfore prescribed me with Aspirin to be gargled with water 4 times a day, aswell as Erythromycin Enteric coated tablets.

I`ve just got out from hospital after having abdominal surgery ,and my uvula is inflamed and strecthed.Apparently this is a common reaction to being intubated for general anestesia. I must have a particully sensitive uvula as it also happened a few years ago whilst on holiday in Furtaventura.(too many pina coladas) A trip to the local clinic for a shot of hydracortizone and within the hour,and £150 lighter, it was back to normal.

The secret is not to panic.

Today, I went to the hospital after having a 4-day sore throat, which just today I noticed was joined by an incredibly elongated uvula (it was literally past the back of my tongue.) I got tested, and came back positive for mono. The more you know~

Just thought I'd drop in some interesting primary source material: Re: What effect does the uvula have on swallowing in humans? Iskunk 22:07, 1 March 2007 (UTC)Reply

Would you like to add more on this topic in the article? If so, please cite other more credible sources. Prophylax (talk) 14:51, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

Is it uncommon to get an ulcer on the uvula? If you get an ulcer on your uvula, will that make your tonsils swell up and make your throat sore? And what do you do to lose the ulcer, that far back in your mouth...gargle saltwater???

One thing not covered is the actual function of the uvula. I mean, I have a good guess, but someone probably knows more.

The page calls the uvula "cone-shaped", which it can be, but not always, and not in the visuals that accompany the article. This phrase, "cone-shaped" seems to have been copied from another source.

The page later says the uvula got its name from its "grape-like shape". This also is not always true, and is not seen very much in the visuals. Other sources say that the word uvula in latin meant a swollen uvula, which do look like grapes.

The page also says the uvula "plays an important role in the creation of the sound of the human voice." Outside of helping with a uvular trill, this doesn't ring true to me...Someone probably got a little ambitious, and confused about the word "uvular". The fact that Wikipedia's "Uvular" page also is a bit confused probably didn't help.

I got reverted when I just tried to edit this willy-nilly, so I thought I'd bring it up here....meditate on it....

-Misha

--216.254.12.114 05:41, 16 July 2006 (UTC)Reply

There is now a section on function that discussed swallow, saliva, speech, and gag reflex. Prophylax (talk) 14:53, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

I also like this sentence about the uvula:

"[I]t closes to prevent air escaping through the nose when making some sounds, such as /b/."

I must be some sort of physical freak, because I can't seem to close my uvula, no matter how hard I try. I mean, I can close my airway using my velum with the best of 'em, but my uvula? No luck.

-Misha

216.254.12.114 20:39, 27 December 2006 (UTC)Reply

Typically it is the soft palate that helps close off the nasopharynx from the oropharynx. The uvula alone may not be sufficient to separate the two. Prophylax (talk) 14:57, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

the current form of this, "In English (as well as many other languages), it closes the nasal passage to prevent air escaping through the nose when making nasal consonants." is actually incorrect. the uvula, in combination with the velum (soft palate) closes the nasal passage when making ORAL or non-nasal sounds. it is open for nasals, with the result that air is forced through the nasal passages. for clarification on this, see the section on speech under "soft palate." this confusion is also evident when comparing with the sections "Velopharyngeal insufficiency" and "Nasal regurgitation" in this article.

24.101.51.109 (talk) 16:18, 11 May 2009 (UTC)Reply

Excellent point. Looks like this has been resolved. Prophylax (talk) 15:00, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

The uvula is not at the back of the throat. It is at the front, i.e. anterior face, of the throat. It is, however, at the back of the mouth.

140.90.159.106 22:19, 29 August 2007 (UTC)Reply

It looks like this has also been corrected. Prophylax (talk) 15:02, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

I've changed that material because the explanation was incorrect: there is no molecular iodine (which would have antiseptic properties in low concentrations) present in iodised salt. The iodine is added as sodium iodide, which is not an antiseptic.

Kay Dekker 22:31, 25 October 2006 (UTC)Reply

Ironically, some of them could make you gag. Wahkeenah 18:30, 20 November 2006 (UTC) don't look at them then. I wonder if I should add a photo of my uvula? it has somthing which is not mentioned here: I have a 'balloon' on it's side since I got glandular fever as a teen. that's 13 years ago now and it still hasn't gone. sometimes the 'balloon' inflates... when I have a virus; and gets itchy so I suck on it and then it pops :s but then grows back. moderately discomfortable. the balloon's colour ranges from the normal pink to a distinct white. and is large enough to be considered a cleft uvula, but it isn't. what do u think? problem is I have nothing to cite about the photo. email suggestions to padswaggle@hotmail.com if u want. 60.242.72.197 (talk) 12:43, 10 July 2010 (UTC)Reply

Consider getting checked out by a doctor. Prophylax (talk) 15:03, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

Honestly , who is intrested in the uvula in popular culture? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Blackfield (talk • contribs) 19:32, 11 April 2007 (UTC).you need more photosReply

I certainly am interested in it, I mean, it's confused for vulva all the time, to comic effect. Also mine's itchy a lot. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.122.63.142 (talk) 20:23, 12 June 2008 (UTC)Reply

If your uvula is itchy, you may consider seeing a doctor. Prophylax (talk) 15:07, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

I restored the bit about the uvula in popular culture, there was no real reason for it to be removed IMO. Indigestion (talk) 18:33, 17 November 2008 (UTC)Reply

Nearly all the pictures have adjectives calling the uvulas "big"... are these larger than normal or something? or is it just unnecessary use of adjectives?

Image:Scoblehd.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot 11:23, 29 September 2007 (UTC)Reply

Looks like the image you're referencing does not exist. Prophylax (talk) 15:08, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

Bad POV protection to preserve a disruptive edit made by the protecting admin. Indefinite full protect to avoid trivia sections - immediately after the admin changes the article to his liking - is way over the top and inappropriate. See Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents#Admin incivility and Wikipedia talk:Trivia sections#massive removal of content Wikidemo 15:57, 9 October 2007 (UTC)Reply

The protection is inappropriate and I have removed it. I will say, though, that these trivia sections are wholly unencylopedic and should be removed from articles. This is not an encyclopedia of pop culture phenomena. The protection of the article may have been unfortunate, but Alkivar is 110% correct that this stuff should not be in our articles. --B 16:21, 9 October 2007 (UTC)Reply

In this particular case I don't think any of the trivia items are notable or relevant, even if worked into the text, so I won't add them. They could be the subject of an independent list / article. A single sentence to the effect that the P.U. is often featured as a sight gag in American cartoons (or something similar, once researched and sourced) would be reasonably relevant. As to the broader question of trivia and pop culture, that's a big debate on Wikipedia, and protecting admins should not be taking sides or protecting simply to shut down the debate.Wikidemo 16:26, 9 October 2007 (UTC)Reply

I am fairly certain that if someone tried to make the list of uvula-related trivia into a separate article, the article would be nominated for deletion very quickly due to its insignificance. However, I do feel the list has a place in the uvula article - I find the facts very interesting and clearly others do. Furthermore, the article contains a significant amount of scientific information about the uvula; some pop culture can't really hurt the quality of the article. Caution: Wet Floor (talk) 04:13, 26 December 2008 (UTC)Reply

the article has this line: " This affected her voice by eliminating vibrato, she said [...] although the uvula is not responsible for vibrato (the vocal cords make this happen)." ...so DID the removal of the uvula remove her vibrato, if so how and if not what did? Otherwise this sentence is kind of useless. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.22.2.92 (talk) 18:03, 7 April 2009 (UTC)Reply

I don't think the vocal chords have anything to do with amplitude, just pitch. The uvula can, however, be used to vary the character of the sound over time. 66.118.149.200 (talk) 19:18, 3 July 2010 (UTC)Reply

I removed this section: Anita O'Day, a popular big band singer, had her uvula accidentally removed during a childhood surgery when only her tonsils were intended to be removed. This affected her voice by eliminating vibrato, she said, in an interview with Terry Gross of NPR's "Fresh Air" radio show, although the uvula is not responsible for vibrato (the vocal cords make this happen). It was tagged with a {{citation needed}} tag anyway and I agree that it's pointless to have a sentence discussing one person's mistaken belief. howcheng {chat} 03:21, 7 August 2010 (UTC)Reply

There's an own article for Bifurcated_uvula, but it doesn't offer much more than is already written here, except for some unverified claims. It doesn't have a picture and the statistics are different ("1% of Caucasians" vs. 2%, both numbers without any source). Then there's the issue of the name.

I have looked looked at Help:Merging and I don't think this merge is controversial, but the task is a bit too complicated for me. Is someone feeling bold and knowledgeable enough to do it? 92.203.13.157 (talk) 02:06, 16 January 2010 (UTC)Reply

 Done. howcheng {chat} 03:39, 7 August 2010 (UTC)Reply

And what, pray tell, are the myositides? rowley (talk) 17:47, 19 December 2011 (UTC)Reply

Please see the linked article: Myositis Prophylax (talk) 15:09, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

Deleted this false information, was clearly vandalism. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.38.10.144 (talk) 21:45, 23 May 2013 (UTC)Reply

Musculus uvular is inherent to the palantine uvula, and should be covered on the same page. This would be of benefit to readers, having information in one place, and by virtue of having the context of incresed information would enhance readability. LT910001 (talk) 00:30, 11 March 2014 (UTC)Reply

It's useful to have the muscle be its own article so that it can be structured appropriately. Prophylax (talk) 15:10, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

The Function section talks only about its use in speech, other languages. Yet it has other functions such as to close off the nasopharynx, preventing food from entering the nasal cavity, or to pronounce "b," drinking, etc. That section should be expanded.
--71.133.254.31 (talk) 17:01, 13 March 2014 (UTC)Doug BashfordReply

Looks like the section has now been expanded to include swallowing and gag reflex as well. Prophylax (talk) 15:11, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

It's as if the authors had never had a writing class, nor bothered to take a gander at Wiki guidelines.

Hint1: poor communication is poor writing.
Hint2: by definition, it takes more than one to communicate.
Hint3: high expertise suggests little about the ability to communicate.
Hint4: The entire Lead section is written in argot or jargon.
Hint5 hyperlinks do not much improve nor excuse lazy writing. ("lazy-links")
Hint6: see Hint2
Last clue: see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (lead section). Thanks!
    --71.133.254.31 (talk) 18:16, 13 March 2014 (UTC)Doug BashfordReply

Thanks Doug. Wikipedia's a collaborative effort where anyone can contribute, so if there's any way you feel an article could improve, feel free to make the changes yourself.--LT910001 (talk) 02:53, 14 March 2014 (UTC)Reply

Information seems to be lacking on cases where there is an absence of the uvula - notably, what causes this defect, and what is the incidence in the population of people lacking a uvula. Denys Wheatley April 1, 2015 Editorbiomedes (talk) 13:20, 1 April 2015 (UTC)Reply

Perhaps someone could add more information in the uvula variations section. Prophylax (talk) 15:12, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion:

• WilliesUvula.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 20:21, 13 March 2019 (UTC)Reply

Looks like this has been deleted. Prophylax (talk) 15:12, 13 July 2024 (UTC)Reply