Why do you have to say ahh when the doctor looks down your throat?

Question

Why do you have to say ahh when the doctor looks down your throat?

Answer 1

Mostly it gets the back of the tongue down and out of the way. Grab a flashlight, something to use as a tongue blade (the handle of a spoon will do), and a willing volunteer. You can easily see for yourself.

I often tell older kids that I divide the world into two groups of people: those who "ahhh" well, and those who get gagged with the stick.

Answer 2

cuz when you say ahh your throat opens up and they can see further. i asked that same question to my dad when i was little and he told me the same answer. he's a doctor

Answer 3

WH09, that is the most precious answer I have ever heard, and I hope you get best answer for it.

Answer 4

It actually raises the uvula (a.k.a. the little thing that hangs down in the back of your throat), which normally blocks the view of someone trying to look back there.

Answer 5

There's more to it than simply widening the view.

The soft palate and lateral pharyngeal walls (sides of the throat) are assessed for the possibility of the development of neurological disease. Frequently, the first signs of neurological problems show up in these structures.

I had a patient who was referred to me because she had a swallowing problem. Apparently, the referring doctor never looked in her mouth. When I did and had her say "aaah", the left side of her soft palate did not rise, nor did the left lateral pharyngeal wall move toward midline. This told me she'd had a brainstem stroke. I promptly referred her to a neurologist, who agreed.

You learn something new everyday, and this is it for you!