Introduction
A sore throat is a painful sensation in the throat. This is often accompanied by pain when swallowing and coughing. The pain is particularly frequent in the case of infections of the upper respiratory tract, tonsillitis or a cold.
The mucous membrane is irritated, damaged and inflamed by viruses, bacteria or other germs. This causes the throat to swell and begin to hurt. Through a connecting tube from the nasopharynx to the middle ear, respiratory tract infections can spread to the ear and cause earache.
By ear pain one understands all pain, which concerns the ear. This includes both the outer and the inner ear. The pain can be very different. It is possible that they come suddenly and go again, or even last a long time. The pain itself can be described as pressing or stabbing and can be one-sided or bilateral.
Causes of sore throat and earache
Causes of ear and throat pain are usually cold or influenza viruses (flu viruses) that attack the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. It is also possible that the tonsils are affected by bacteria and a painful tonsillitis develops. In both cases, a sore throat occurs.
The immune system immediately begins to fight the viruses. Thereby messenger substances are released. These activate the pain receptors of the tissue and one feels pain and swallowing is perceived as unpleasant.
Furthermore, the mucous membranes swell, which is also painful. In the case of tonsillitis, the tonsils become enlarged because more cells of the immune system are needed in them. This enlargement is unpleasant in addition to the pain when swallowing.
The pain-causing bacteria or viruses in the throat can trigger an inflammation in the middle ear via a connection from the throat to the ear (ear trumpet), thus causing ear pain. The mucous membranes in the ear also swell. It is even possible that the ear trumpet becomes too swollen and no drainage and ventilation is possible.
This causes pain. A bacterial infection in the ear can cause pus to accumulate. This is also responsible for pain.
Often it cannot flow off and a pressing ear pain develops. If there is a possibility of drainage (tear in the eardrum), the pain is immediately reduced. Pathogens can enter the body through the mouth and nose.
They must pass through the tonsils and can cause an acute tonsillitis. Various bacteria and viruses can multiply particularly well in the tissue of the tonsils. The inflammation can be caused by bacteria or viruses.
The throat and swallowing are painful, this pain becomes stronger when yawning or coughing. Mostly the lymph nodes in the neck are swollen, the tonsils are covered with white-yellow spots (pus), enlarged and reddened and the body temperature can rise slightly. It is also possible that the pain extends into the ears or that the pathogens in the ear also cause an inflammation.
If the tonsillitis is caused by bacteria, it is treated with antibiotics. This might also be of interest to you: Signs of tonsillitisAn inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media) is often caused by a preceding bacterial or viral infection from the airways. The bacteria or viruses rise from the nasopharynx to the middle ear, where they cause an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the ear.
Babies and small children most often suffer from an inflammation of the middle ear because the connection between the nasopharynx and the ear is still very short. This anatomical fact allows the pathogens to spread rapidly. Typical symptoms of an otitis media are sharp unilateral or bilateral earaches, a feeling of pressure and knocking in the ear. The eardrum is reddened and bulging. In addition, there is a general feeling of discomfort, hearing loss and headaches.
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