If you have ear pain, then it is most likely that you might have a sore throat as well. Mostly, these two symptoms indicate a bacterial infection. Let us know more about them from the following.
The ears, nose and throat are interlinked with each other. Therefore, when either of them is affected with an infection or an allergy, it causes discomfort in all three of them. There is a tube called Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear and the throat. When a person suffers from sore throat, there is a swelling in the tube, which causes blockages that exert pressure on the ear. When the pressure in the ear increases, it causes ear pain.
Some Self Care Measures
There are some home remedies, which can be used for treating this condition.
✔ Heat a piece of cloth and place it on the ear. This remedy will give you temporary, but instant relief from earache.
✔ Make sure you are consuming sufficient amount of fluids, as fluids help in hydration of the throat and makes it easy to talk and swallow. As far as possible, have warm fluids like hot soup, warm milk with a pinch of turmeric, etc.
✔ To keep the throat moist, popsicles and lozenges can be used.
✔ Gargling with water mixed with salt, will also help in relieving sore throat condition. However, this remedy will have to repeated several times a day.
✔ Like, previously mentioned humidifier will prove to be of help in treating the condition.
✔ If you experience a lot of dryness in the nose and throat, then using saline nasal spray is recommended, so that the mucus membranes are kept moist.
✔ Among the home remedies a simple remedy is to make use of basil leaves extract along with honey or boil basil leaves in water and drink the water.
✔ A concoction made using turmeric, basil leaves, cinnamon, ginger and salt will help in relieving the condition. Before drinking the concoction add a teaspoon of honey to it. As far as possible drink the concoction, while it is still hot/warm. This concoction also helps in reducing fever.
✔ Ginger extract taken with honey is also a great remedy for the condition.
✔ Taking steam or taking a warm shower will also help in alleviating the condition. Steaming both the ear as well as throat is recommended for faster relief.
Sore Throat and Ear Pain – The Link
When there is an infection in either the ear or nose or throat, it affects the other two as well. When the sinus cavities are stuffed with mucus, it causes ear pain. Since there is a connection between all of them, there is an exchange of fluids in the areas, which causes infection to move in between the ear, nose and throat, and eventually leads to sore throat and earache.
Persistent sore throat and ear pain is often due to inflammation of the middle ear caused by an infection. Due to the inflammation, the eardrum is stretched and causes swelling. This sometimes impairs hearing. If the pain is severe, a mild pain-killer can be taken. Chronic pain can happen seasonally or it may be a feature all yearlong, due to allergies, when the immune system of the person is weakened. If the person is exposed to smoking, irritation from the heating and cooling systems and alcohol, it can also aggravate the situation. In some cases, changing the toothbrush also helps to get rid of throat infection and ear pain, as the toothbrush transmits the infection back to you.
Sore Throat
One can suffer from sore throat, due to strep throat, pharyngitis, laryngitis or even tonsillitis . It is often an infection, which affects the pharynx, or larynx or the area surrounding the tonsils. The infection is often caused by bacteria, but it can also be a viral infection. This condition is often seen in children and young people, however, it may not necessarily always be so, as it can affect people in any age group. The most common characteristics are throat and ear pain and along with difficulty in swallowing.
The symptoms, which accompany a sore throat include pain while swallowing, headache, fever, appetite loss, general ill feeling, ear pain, tender or swollen red glands in the neck, swelling on the tonsils and infection. Sore throat is contagious and is spread, when an infected person comes in contact with another person. The bacteria are transmitted through the saliva, nasal secretions, as well as through coughing, sneezing and touching.
To treat the condition antibiotic treatment is often prescribed. This is especially true, if the infection has spread to the ears and nose. If it is a severe condition, it might take as long as 10 to 15 days to be cured. There are also over-the-counter medicines, which can be taken to reduce fever and inflammation. One of the sore throat home remedies, would be to use humidifier at home. This will moisten the air and give some relief to the irritated and inflamed throat. Warm soaks can also be used to soothe the throat pain and reduce inflammation. Increasing the consumption of garlic is also of immense help to treat the condition.
Ear Pain
The ear can divided be into outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Ear pain is a condition commonly seen in adults and children alike. The start of the earache is often inside the ear, the middle ear to be more precise. The cause of this condition is often inflammation and swelling in any of the structures, which make up the ear. Allergies, ear infection or earwax can give rise to ear pain. Other than the problems related to the ear-nose-throat, the pain, especially in children can also result from new tooth eruption.
When the ear pain is accompanied by certain symptoms like fever, itching in the ear, difficulty in eating, etc., then the condition is as a result of an ear-nose-throat problem. In some cases, along with pain, the person may experience ringing or buzzing sounds in the ear. In case of a respiratory infection, the bacteria can make its way from to the Eustachian tubes to the eardrum. The pus formation pushes against the eardrum, which causes the pain. Ear infection, infection in the throat, bacterial infection in the ear, fungal growth in the ear are the prominent causes of this condition.
If the sore throat and ear pain are taking too long to heal or for recurring sore throat condition, you may want to visit your health care professional. He will be able to find the exact cause of your problem and treat the problem accordingly.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
