By themselves, ear pain and a sore throat can be unpleasant to deal with. When paired together, you’re left feeling even worse. Many common conditions can cause both throat and ear pain. Let’s take a look at a few of them, as well as home remedies and treatment options.
Symptoms of a Sore Throat and Earache
While it may sound pretty self-explanatory, both throat and ear pain can vary in sensation and intensity depending on the cause.
A sore throat may feel like:
- Mild to severe pain in the back of your throat
- Scratchiness or dryness in your throat
- Pain when swallowing or talking
Additionally, you might experience hoarseness, swollen glands and/or tonsils or notice redness in the back of your throat.
Ear pain symptoms may include:
- Pain that is dull, sharp or burning in one or both ears
- Muffled hearing or temporary hearing loss
- A feeling of fullness in the ear
- Fluid draining from the ear
Conditions That Can Cause Ear and Throat Pain
- Allergies. Allergies can cause a host of symptoms, including a sore throat from postnasal drip or irritation and ear pain due to inflammation and blockage in the ears.
- Strep throat. While a sore throat is the hallmark sign of strep throat, bacteria from the infection can also travel up into the ear, causing pain.
- Chronic sinusitis. A common condition, 28.9 million adults are diagnosed with sinusitis. This occurs when your sinus cavities are inflamed and becomes chronic when it lasts over 12 weeks. The inflammation causes pain and swelling of the face and can also affect your throat and ears in addition to nasal congestion, a cough and thick, discolored mucus.
- Tonsilitis. This is an inflammation of the tonsils which can be caused by viruses or bacteria. It’s more common in children but can happen at any age.
- Acid reflux. Reflux occurs when stomach acid flows back up into your esophagus. If it happens frequently, you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
What Are Your Treatment Options?
Treating your ear and throat pain largely depends on determining the cause. If you have persistent symptoms, schedule an appointment with your medical provider. There they can run the appropriate testing and take note of all your symptoms to help make a diagnosis.
Once a cause is determined, they may recommend treatments like allergy medication, antacids, antibiotics, lifestyle remedies, or certain medical procedures like a tonsillectomy.
Managing Symptoms at Home
You may also be able to find relief at home by doing things like getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated or using over-the-counter medications or throat lozenges that you can find at Smith Drug Store or other local Spartanburg pharmacies.
To speak with a specialist and find the right treatment for you, call Spartanburg | Greer ENT & Allergy today to schedule an appointment.
