Associated symptoms

If the throat, pharynx and middle ear are inflamed by pathogens, swallowing difficulties often occur as an accompanying symptom. Those affected suffer from swallowing difficulties, especially when the tonsils are inflamed. The tonsils are enlarged and particularly sensitive due to the inflammation.

For this reason, when swallowing large portions or hard food (e.g. bread crusts), one has swallowing problems or pain when swallowing. The first sign of an acute pharyngitis is often a dry feeling in the throat, a burning or scratching sensation, which is intensified when swallowing. This can go so far that one develops a foreign body feeling in the throat when swallowing.This makes swallowing more difficult and requires frequent clearing of the throat.

If the typical sore throat occurs, this is usually intensified during the swallowing process. In summary, it can be said that it is extremely rare for an inflammation in the throat, pharynx or ear to heal without discomfort or pain when swallowing. Headaches as an accompanying symptom of an inflammation of the throat and/or ear are not uncommon.

Those affected complain of a booming headache. Furthermore, it is often described that the head feels like “closed”. Scientists suspect that the headache is not caused by the infection itself, which also causes the ear and throat pain.

The assumption goes in the direction that the inflamed mucous membranes of the nasopharynx are responsible for the headache. As a rule, the accompanying headaches subside as the main symptoms disappear. If patients suffer from ear and throat pain, they are usually affected by a cold.

In this case, an elevated temperature (37.5-38.5°C) may occur as a secondary symptom. With a lot of sheep and rest, as well as proven home remedies, the cold and thus the fever also subsides quite quickly. It is also possible to suffer from a real flu (influenza), which also focuses on ear and throat pain.

In this case, however, the fever is also a main symptom and can rise to 39°C or more. The high fever makes a visit to the doctor advisable. Just as with the common cold, the fever usually subsides as the other symptoms disappear or even earlier.

Ear and throat pain is usually caused by pathogens that settle in the mucous membranes and lead to inflammation of the respiratory tract. In addition to the sore throat, coughing often occurs. The inflammation often begins with a dry feeling and a scratching in the throat.

This can turn into a mucusy throat, as there is increased secretion of mucus. The mucus is usually coughed up (“productive cough“). The color of the mucus can provide information about the pathogen.

It is also possible that both forms of mucus occur within the course of the disease. The production of mucus decreases as soon as the mucosa has recovered and the inflammation has subsided.

A green-yellowish mucus indicates a bacterial infection.
A bright clear mucus on the other hand indicates a viral cause.
Superinfection
Pain when coughing