Accompanying pain with sore throat

Sore throats can have different causes and, depending on the disease and individual course, can also be accompanied by pain. The most common reason for sore throat is a flu-like infection. A flu or tonsillitis can also cause sore throats.

The infection sometimes causes other, unspecific symptoms such as pain in limbs or muscles. Earache often occurs at about the same time or just after the sore throat. This can be explained by the anatomy of the ear, nose and throat area.

The middle ear is connected to the throat by a canal. Normally, this connection serves to equalize pressure, for example when overcoming large differences in height. However, if an infection takes place in the throat, the pathogens can colonize this channel and thus also infect the middle ear.

Thus, an infection that was primarily in the throat can cause an inflammation of the middle ear and cause earache. Particularly if bacteria are the cause of the middle ear inflammation, antibiotics should be administered at the latest then. Headaches are a very unspecific symptom which can have different causes.

When headaches occur together with sore throats, a viral infection is usually responsible for the symptoms. Headaches occur relatively often in the context of a cold and are thus, in addition to sore throat, a symptom that is often complained about. It is possible, however, that the headache has nothing to do with the sore throat and that there is another reason for the headache.

Since a sufficient fluid intake is recommended for both sore throat and headaches, this is an appropriate measure to alleviate the symptoms. Painkillers can also help to relieve the sore throat and headaches.In very rare cases headaches can be a symptom of a serious illness and therefore headaches that are very severe and/or persist for a long time always require medical attention. A sore throat and cough often occur together as part of an upper respiratory tract infection.

Especially during the wet and cold season these upper respiratory tract infections occur more frequently. Pathogenic germs attack the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and irritate it. The mucosa becomes inflamed and swells.

Very often the responsible germs are viruses, in most cases so-called cold viruses. But bacteria can also be the trigger for infections. These include streptococci or mycoplasma.

Fever is often associated with infections of the upper respiratory tract. It occurs above all when the body’s own immune system has to deal with a pathogenic germ. During this process many antibodies are produced.

Some of them are the so-called pyrogens. These intervene in the temperature regulation system and produce fever. In most cases, fever is considered a sensible measure of the body, as many reactions to fight the existing inflammation are accelerated at elevated body temperatures.

A fever is defined as a body temperature above 38.5 °C. The irritation of the mucous membrane in the upper respiratory tract often causes a reflex-like contraction of the respiratory muscles. This causes the air to be pressed out quickly and a cough to develop.

A so-called lump in the throat is also frequently associated with coughing and sore throat. With a lump in the throat, one has the feeling that a foreign body, such as a crumb or a small object is located in the area of the respiratory tract. A feeling of tightness develops in the throat and many find it difficult to breathe and swallow (see: Pain when swallowing).

To get rid of this feeling, people often try to get rid of it by coughing or clearing their throat. However, this usually shows no improvement. The most common trigger for a lump in the throat is caused by an infection.

The feeling of a lump in the throat is mainly caused by a very brittle and dry throat mucosa. Therefore, it is particularly sensible to drink a lot. This keeps the mucous membranes moist and keeps them non-irritating.

In addition, fluid intake in the context of an infection is also useful. If a fever develops, there is a loss of fluid, which must be compensated by a renewed intake. Sore throat can also manifest itself in the form of burning. Burning can occur, for example, after eating hot or acidic food, through infection with various pathogens or through other illnesses. Often these are rather harmless causes, but you should consult a doctor to rule out serious diseases.