What You Can Do At Home
To treat the pain, you can use painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. These can be bought over the counter. Children under the age of 16 shouldn’t take aspirin.
If the discomfort is mild, and in the outer ear, placing a warm flannel against the affected ear may also help relieve the pain. Care must be taken to make sure the flannel is not hot, to avoid scalding or burning of the skin.
Your pharmacist may be able to recommend over-the-counter eardrops for your earache. Tell them about your symptoms and ask for their advice first.
Eardrops or olive oil drops shouldn’t be used if your eardrum has burst , and if treating an ear infection.
It’s important to avoid getting the affected ear wet if you have an ear infection.
What Causes Sore Throat
Many conditions and factors cause sore throat, also called pharyngitis. You may feel pain and irritation anywhere in the back of your mouth, on your tonsils, and down your neck. You may also have a fever, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, and a headache or earache.
Common causes of a sore throat include:
Less common but more serious causes of sore throat are abscess , infection of the epiglottis and tumors.
Sore Throat And Ear Pain: Whats Causing The Discomfort
Sore throat and ear pain can bring your day to a grinding halt. The discomfort can become unbearable quickly. Because of that, figuring out whats causing those conditions and getting them treated fast is a must.
Some of the underlying causes of sore throat and ear pain can be very serious, but others can be treated from home. Thats why its important to be able to realize when you can deal with it and when you need to get to the doctors office.
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What Are The Potential Causes
Experiencing a sore throat and ear pain together could be caused by a number of conditions. They are as follows:
- Tonsillitis: This is an inflammation of the tonsils, and is more common in children but can happen at any age. It is caused by bacteria or viruses, and can also come with pain when swallowing, swollen lymph nodes and fever.
- Allergies: Allergies are caused by pollen and dust that cause an inflammation of mucus membranes. Sneezing and nasal congestion may also be present.
- Acid reflux: This is a common condition that occurs when the stomach acid or contents of your stomach back up into your esophagus. You may find that your symptoms worsen when lying down or after a heavy meal. Heartburn is the most common symptom. You may also get indigestion and a lump in your throat.
- Mononucleosis: Sometimes called mono, this is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The symptoms can last for several weeks and can be severe. People in their teens and early 20s usually experience the symptoms, but it can happen to anybody. Fatigue, muscle aches and weakness and ear fullness are usually accompanying symptoms.
- Strep throat: This is a contagious infection that is caused by a group of bacteria. This can be quite painful and comes on very quickly. You may also notice tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth and have a fever.
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A chronic sore throat is considered as any persistent throat irritation, itchiness, or pain that lasts for more than 3 months. While a sore throat is usually thought of as pain, even slight irritation or itchiness of the throat can cause a level of discomfort that may be described as sore.
Causes of a Chronic Sore Throat
The causes of a chronic sore throat may be due to an infection, chemical or mechanical injuries, or some other cause of persistent inflammation. Identifying the cause depends on the other signs and symptoms present, apart from a sore throat, as well as considering the patients medical history.
Other signs and symptoms that may accompany a chronic sore throat include:
- Changes in the voice, especially hoarseness
- Painful swallowing
- Chronic cough or constant clearing of the throat
Chronic Sore Throat Diagnosis
Diagnosing the underlying cause of a sore throat may require a neck x-ray, CT scan, or laryngoscopy.
Medical Conditions That Might Be Causing Signs and Symptoms
A childs sore throat may be due to strep throat, sinusitis, tonsillitis, or all three at different times. Here is a simple breakdown of the three.
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils caused by any virus or bacteria. It can be acute or chronic. Infections that cause tonsillitis can travel and cause sinusitis.
Tonsils
Signs of Tonsillitis
- Runny nose with yellow, green or bloody mucus
- Ear pain and infection
- Pain and pressure around the sinuses
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Sore Throat And Earache: 6 Causes And Treatments
Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.
The pain begins as a throbbing pulse before switching to an ache and then to a hurtful stabbing pain that radiates down your throat and in your inner ear.
A sore throat alone can be unbearable, but when you are also suffering from an earache, it can restrict daily activities.
What begins in one section can quickly travel to the other due, in part, to the Eustachian tube that connects the two.
There are several options to deal with your pain from an earache and sore throat, depending on the cause. You may be able to control and alleviate the pain yourself however, more severe conditions may require a trip to see your doctor.
Tooth Infection Or Abscess
A dental abscess is a pocket of pus at the tip of your tooths root caused by a bacterial infection. An abscessed tooth can cause severe pain that radiates to your ear and jaw on the same side. The lymph nodes in your neck and throat may also be swollen and tender.
Other symptoms include:
- sensitivity to heat and cold
- pain when chewing and swallowing
- swelling in your cheek or face
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What Are The Causes Of Sore Throat And Earaches
While an earache is usually the result of an inner, middle, or outer ear infection, a sore throat can be caused by effects of the ear infection or another condition. Both can produce mild to severe symptoms, mainly in the form of various levels of pain. A serious issue with a sore throat can impede swallowing or even cause breathing difficulties.
When To See A Doctor For Ear Or Throat Pain When Swallowing
Ear and throat pain on one side when swallowing can be caused by a wide variety of conditions, some common and others that are very serious. Many times, it is a temporary symptom of a cold, flu or other type of viral infection. However, when you have continuing throat or ear pain, you may need to see a doctor. If your ear and throat pain are accompanied by any of the following symptoms, you may want to see your primary physician or an ear, nose and throat specialist :
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Prevent The Spread Of Covid
A high temperature can be a symptom of COVID-19.
A sore throat can also cause earache.
If there is no fever or temperature, the earache may be caused by a wax blockage or glue ear. Glue ear is where the empty middle part of the ear canal fills up with fluid.
Sometimes the pressure can cause the eardrum to burst and fluid may come out of the ear. Do not worry if this happens. Keep the ear dry and contact your GP.
What Causes Ear Nose And Throat Infections
Ear, nose and throat infections are very common. The symptoms are usually relatively mild, but infections can sometimes cause problems that need to be treated by an ENT specialist. What can cause an infection in your ears, nose or throat, and when should you visit an ENT clinic for advice?
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Your Ears And Throat: Natural Home Remedies For A Sore Throat
Its the season for the flu, colds, as well as for other infections, and for all of these conditions having a sore throat is a common symptom. A common condition, sore throats can be highly irritating and painful, affecting many aspects of your daily life. Having a sore throat can make it difficult to talk, swallow, cough, and fall asleep. Having a sore throat can even affect your ears since the nerves from the throat, and the ears are close to each other, why is why sometimes a sore throat can cause ear pain. However, a sore throat can also be the result of another infection, such as an ear infection. While a sore throat on its own may not be serious enough to warrant a visit to your doctor, the pain and irritation can still temporarily affect your daily life. Fortunately, there are home remedies for a sore throat available that you can use to get some relief.
If you are suffering from a sore throat, there are strategies available for you to use to help ease your symptoms. If you are looking for some relief, check out these natural home remedies for a sore throat.
Honey Honey not only tastes great, but its excellent at soothing sore throats. Honey will coat your irritated throat, can help with coughs, and can also help speed up the healing process by reducing inflammation with its antibacterial properties.
Common Ear Nose And Throat Infections
When we talk about ear, nose and throat infections, we often do it in terms of the location of the problem rather than the specific viral or bacterial infection that is causing the problem. This is because infections in different areas tend to produce different symptoms. We can tell where the infection is based on these symptoms.
- Ear infections can be outer, middle or inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are less common as it is harder for viruses and bacteria to reach this part of the ear.
- Nasal infections often affect the nasal passages , but they can also affect connected areas like the sinuses .
- Throat infections can be named according to their location, for example tonsillitis in the tonsils or laryngitis in the larynx .
Sometimes the location of the infection is all we need to know in order to manage the symptoms. However, in some cases it may be possible to identify the specific infection that is responsible. Its particularly important to do this when the symptoms are severe, theres a chance that the infection could be bacterial, or other parts of your body are affected too.
Lots of different infections can affect your ears, nose, or throat:
Any part of the ears, nose and throat can be affected by many of the same viruses and bacteria. However, certain types of infection are more likely to happen in different areas and the symptoms can also be a little bit different, depending on exactly where the infection is located.
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Sore Throat And Ear Pain On One Side Other Causes
The body is an incredible biological masterpiece. It never ceases to amaze how the body works and that everything connects.
You would have seen how one condition can affect more than one body part creating confusion in finding the cause. Yet what we have shown you makes it easier to conclude, keep reading see the other conditions not mentioned.
Home Remedies For Throat And Ear Pain
There are a few things that you can try to relieve your throat and ear pain at home, including:
- Keeping your upper body elevated while you sleep
- Sucking on cough drops
- Drinking plenty of cold fluids and eating ice pops or ice cream
- Applying warm compresses or cold packs to your throat or the side of your head over your ear
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Ear Ache Sore Throat And Sore Tongue
- Medical Author: Dan Brennan, MD
Last Editorial Review: 6/15/2020
These symptoms can be part of many medical conditions, including viral and bacterial infections. Strep throat can be diagnosed with a throat swab. Antibiotics may be needed to treat a bacterial infection. If your symptoms are not improving, you should contact your doctor.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
Throat And Ear Pain While Swallowing
The ear and throat are connected by the auditory tube , which opens and closes when you swallow.
Since these parts of your body are linked, you might have pain in your throat and your ear when you swallow if you have tonsillitis or an infection like mono or strep throat.
These infections can also cause problems in the auditory tube, including inflammation, infection, and mucus build-up.
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Throat And Ear Pain That Doesn’t Go Away
Throat and ear pain can come and go or can be constant and slow to get better, depending on what is causing the symptoms.
For example, acid reflux is more likely to cause pain that is worse in the morning and gets better later in the day. Seasonal allergies, strep throat, and mono are more likely to come with throat and ear pain that does not go away until the conditions are treated.
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Though an earache might be something most people remember from childhood, adults are not immune from them.
Ear pain in adults is less likely to be caused by an ear infection than ear pain in children.
In adults, the pain is more likely caused by one of a variety of issues:
- Arthritis of the jaw
- Ear injury from pressure changes
- Hole in the eardrum
- Object stuck in the ear
- Short-term ear infection
- Tooth infection
Symptoms of an earache can include pain, fever, ear drainage, nausea, and vomiting.
When an adult has an earache, its important to treat the root cause of the problem, even if that problem isnt directly related to the ear, such as arthritis of the jaw.
If you experience ear pain that doesnt go away or gets worse within 24 to 48 hours you should call your doctors office.
Also call your doctor if you have severe pain that suddenly stops. This could be a sign that your eardrum has ruptured.
The type of earache you have determines the best treatment:
- For a general earache. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, rest in an upright position instead of lying down, and put a cold pack on the outer ear for 20 minutes
- For ear pain from pressure change. Swallow hard or chew gum
- For earaches caused by other medical issues. Visit your doctor to determine the best treatment on a case-by-case basis. This includes causes such as excess wax buildup, object in ear, sinus infection, sore throat, and tooth infection.
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Symptoms Of Ear Nose And Throat Infections
Ear, nose and throat infections are often caused by the same kinds of bacteria and viruses. However, the symptoms can be different depending on where the infection is located:
- Ear infections can cause earache, wax or discharge, hearing loss and balance problems.
- Nose infections are likely to cause a runny or blocked nose and sneezing. Infections that reach areas such as the sinuses can also cause other symptoms such as headaches.
- Throat infections can cause a sore or scratchy throat and pain or difficulty swallowing. You may also be able to feel swollen glands in your neck.
All three types of infections can also cause more general symptoms of infection, such as a fever, and it is common for infections to spread between these areas. For example, an infection that starts with a sore throat might start to cause other symptoms such as earache when it spreads from your throat to your ear.
Symptoms Of Sore Throat
A sore throat can make it painful to swallow. A sore throat can also feel dry and scratchy. Sore throat can be a symptom of strep throat, the common cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory tract illness. Sore throat caused by a virus or the bacteria called group A Streptococcus can have similar symptoms.
Sometimes the following symptoms suggest a virus is causing the illness instead of Strep throat:
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What Are The Treatment Options
A mild sore throat associated with cold or flu symptoms can be made more comfortable with the following remedies:
- Increase your liquid intake.
- Drink warm tea with honey .
- Use a personal steamer or place a humidifier in your bedroom.
- Gargle with warm salt water several times daily: ¼ tsp salt to ½ cup water.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen .
For a more severe sore throat, your doctor may want to do a throat cultureswabbing the inside of your throat to see if there is a bacterial infection. If it is negative, your physician will base their treatment recommendation on the severity of your symptoms and the appearance of your throat on examination.
If you have a bacterial infection your doctor will likely recommend an antibiotic that kills or impairs bacteria. Antibiotics do not cure viral infections, but viruses do lower the patients resistance to bacterial infections. When a combined infection like this happens, antibiotics may be recommended.
It is important to take an antibiotic as your physician directs and to finish all doses, even if your symptoms improve, otherwise the infection may not be gone and could return. Some patients will experience returning infections despite antibiotic treatment. If you experience this, it is important to discuss this situation with your physician.
You may also want to review these Sore Throat Prevention Tips.