A sore throat and ear pain are very common these days and they are not something to worry about. You can overcome it easily within a week at home because mostly sore throat and ear pain are caused by minor illness like flu and colds.

Sometimes ear and throat pain becomes complicated as well. The complications include mastoiditis, perforations of the eardrum, long-term hearing loss, bacterial infections that develop in rheumatic fever or glomerulonephritis as well if untreated. Sore throat ear pain, if left untreated, can lead to other serious damages to nerves, skin, heart, and joints as well.

Symptoms of Sore Throat and Earache

The following symptoms mean that you are suffering from a sore throat and ear pain.

• A Fever
• Lymph glands
• Swollen Nodes
• Stiff neck and back
• Consistent mouth ulcer
• Rash and pus on toenails
• Blood appearing in saliva or phlegm
• Hard to swallow anything for over 3 days

5 Common Causes of a Sore Throat and Earache

1. Cold or flu

Earaches and sore throat mostly occur during the seasonal changes due to virus infections in the months of winter. You can overcome the issue by having rest and hot liquids. Antibiotics are also one good choice to stop bacterial infections.

2. Acute sinusitis

Sinusitis is caused by allergy, cold and bacterial infections which affect the air-filled spaces around the nostrils. The symptoms are fatigue, sore throat, earache, and sometimes discharge from nose and ears and can last up to 8 weeks.

3. Hay fever

Hay fever is the response of the body to the allergies of pollen, dust and pet dander. Itching and sore throat are accompanied by ear pain as well which is due to sinus pressure. Other symptoms of hay fever include fatigue, cough, runny nose, and sinus pain. The symptoms can be reduced by taking corticosteroid, antihistamine, and decongestants.

4. Acute tonsillitis

Tonsillitis also causes major pain in the throat. These inflamed tonsils are due to bacterial or viral infections. These tonsils are located in the back of the throat and cause difficulty in breathing, sleeping, and swallowing. The treatment includes salt-water gargling, fluids and rest. You can also use antibiotics if the doctor determines it as a bacterial infection.

5. Ear infection

You will feel a lot of pain in the ear due to colds, virus or an infected middle ear. The pain is due to the pressure on the sensory nerve endings. The same infection also travels to your throat, which causes aches. During this infection, you also feel the loss of appetite, dizziness, vertigo, fever, discharge of fluid from the ear and problems in sleep due to extreme pain. You need pain relievers, medication and rest to overcome the infection.

5 Proven Home Remedies

You can also try proven home remedies to overcome this issue.

1. Ginger

Ginger can be helpful in a sore throat and earache. You can add ginger to your tea and other drinks for better results.

2. Warm liquid

A sore throat can be cured by drinking a lot of warm water. You can also try warm tea with honey and lemon in it to get relief from a sore throat. Pay attention to the temperature and do not irritate it with very hot water.

3. Garlic

Garlic is considered an important ingredient for many medicines from the old days. It has antiviral and antifungal tendencies. It is recommended to use 2 cloves of garlic for a sore throat. You can take it with soup or any other drink. In case of ear pain, make a heated mixture of half clove of garlic and sesame oil. Drip this mixture in each ear and allow it to settle for 10 minutes. It will relieve your ear pain.

4. Gargles

Gargles are also helping in giving relief from symptoms of an earache and sore throat. To overcome the symptoms you can try warning saline gargle every 30 minutes during the acute pain episodes. Cayenne pepper gargle is also helping in giving you relief due to the antiviral properties. You can prepare it by adding 5 dashes of cayenne pepper to a cup of warm water. Try it every 15 minutes during pain for better results. Apple cider vinegar is also helpful; prepare a cup of warm water with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in it.

Serious Situations to Consult Your Doctor

• Pus

Pus in the back of the throat can cause an infection if not treated on time.

• High fever

Fever is also a symptom of a sore throat and earache. If you are having a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit then visit your doctor and get the necessary medications to cure it.

• Blood in saliva

The blood in your saliva also shows that your throat is not in the right condition. Consult your doctor and conduct medical examinations as well to diagnose the problem and then treat it.

• Difficult swallowing

This is quite serious as the difficulty in swallowing will lead to weakness as well as pain in the throat. So consult your doctor for medical care.

A small pain in your ear and throat can disturb your sleep and all other activities. The common reasons for this problem are colds, flu, and other infections. You can also try home remedies to cure a sore throat and earache. This is not a serious problem, however, you need to visit your doctor and get the necessary medical assistance. You can find out the detailed causes of a sore throat and earache in this video.