Salpingopharyngeus

Looks like

A slender muscle from the opening of the ear tube in the upper throat down into the side wall of the throat.

What it does

Lifts the throat when swallowing and may help open the ear tube.

Keeping it well

Powered by the vagus nerve. Rarely a problem alone; blocked ears during colds are more often due to swelling around the tube.

Related conditions

• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Botulism
• Burning mouth syndrome
• Common cold
• Diphtheria
• Fibromyalgia
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Hand, foot and mouth disease
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Influenza
• Lichen planus
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Mouth ulcers (aphthous stomatitis)
• Muscular dystrophy
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Pemphigus vulgaris
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Scarlet fever
• Stevens–Johnson syndrome / toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Tetanus