Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesOne-Sided PainPain When SwallowingPain That Doesn’t Get BetterDiagnosisHome RemediesWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
One-Sided Pain
Pain When Swallowing
Pain That Doesn’t Get Better
Diagnosis
Home Remedies
When to Seek Care
There are several causes for a sore throat with ear pain, including allergies, sinus infections, the common cold, tonsillitis, and other conditions. Rarely, a sore throat that lasts longer than two weeks can be a sign of throat ormouth cancer.
Verywell / Nez Riaz
COVID-19
COVID-19can cause a sore throat and ear pain. While it is primarily a lower respiratory tract virus, it can also cause symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are varied and can include:
Congestion from a stuffy nose can result in ear pain. Depending on the COVID strain, different or additional symptoms are possible.
Treatment
Treatment for COVID-19 is generally supportive care, such as OTC pain medications, fluids, and rest. However, if you are at a greater risk of becoming severely ill, there are anti-virals (e.g.,Paxlovid) your healthcare provider can prescribe. To be the most effective, these medications should be started as soon as possible after symptoms begin.
Strep Throat
Strep throatis a bacterial infection, usually with a type of bacteria known as Group A strep, that can cause a sore throat and ear pain, especially in children and teens. While ear infections are more commonly due to other viruses or bacteria, Group A strep can lead to ear infections, too.Othersymptoms of strep throatinclude:
Strep throat needs to be treated with antibiotics. If it’s not treated, the infection can lead to seriousheart complicationsand kidney problems.
While you’rehealing from strep throat, staying hydrated, resting, and taking OTC pain relievers can help with your symptoms.
Mononucleosis
In addition to a sore throat and ear pain, the symptoms of mono can also include:
Acid Reflux
Acid refluxoccurs when thelower esophageal sphincter(LES) does not open and close properly, which lets stomach acid back up into the esophagus. Sometimes, the acid goes back far enough that it irritates the back of the throat.
Acid reflux is common, but it’s not known how many people with the condition have a sore throat and ear pain as symptoms.
If you have acid reflux, you might find that the pain in your throat and ears is worse when you are lying down or right when you wake up in the morning.
There are many medications available to treat acid reflux. Some are OTC drugs and others require a prescription. Examples of medications for acid reflux includeantacids(Tums or Rolaids), H2 blockers (Zantac, Pepcid), andproton-pump inhibitors(Nexium, Prilosec).
If you have acid reflux, sleep with your upper body elevated, avoid eating late at night, and keep track of foods that might trigger your symptoms.
Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis occurs when thetonsils become biggerthan normal and inflamed. It can cause throat and ear pain and make swallowing difficult. Colds, mono, and strep throat are common causes of tonsillitis.
The term “tonsillitis” applies to enlarged, inflamed tonsils regardless of what’s causing them.
If you do not have a positive strep test and won’t be taking antibiotics, thetreatment for tonsillitismostly includes resting and easing your symptoms. Cool beverages and chilled foods can help ease throat pain. You can also use ice packs and OTC pain relievers.
In severe cases of tonsillitis, prescription pain relievers or steroid medications can help reduce the size of the tonsils.
Tooth Infection
An infected orabscessed toothcan cause throat or ear pain, depending on where the infected tooth is and whether it’s spread.
Othersymptoms of an infected toothinclude:
If you think that you have an infected tooth, see a dentist as soon as possible. Treatment for the infection (including antibioticsif needed) will help prevent it from spreading.
In some cases, your dentist might need to do a procedure like an incision and drainage, aroot canal, ortooth extraction, to treat the infection.
Allergies
Allergies are a commoncause of throat painand ear pain. Other symptoms of allergies depend on what the trigger is but can include:
Allergies can be treated withantihistaminesandimmunotherapy (allergy shots).
Sinusitis
Sinusitisrefers to any inflammation of the system of air-filled pockets in the face (sinuses). The inflammation can be from a bacterial, fungal, or viralsinus infection, allergies, or conditions related to the anatomy of your nose, like adeviated septum.
In addition to a sore throat and ear pain, other symptoms of sinusitis include:
Occasionally,sinus surgeryis needed to treat conditions like a deviated septum ornasal polyps(soft growths inside the nose and sinuses that are not cancerous).
Irritants
Examples of irritants that can cause a sore throat include:
Such irritants may cause other symptoms in addition to sore throat, such as eye irritation, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and headaches. If you haveasthma, these irritants can also aggravate your symptoms.
Of course, if you know what irritant is causing a sore throat and ear pain, you will need to take steps to avoid it. This may entail:
How to Prevent MoldMold thrives in warm, damp places. To prevent mold growth in your home, make sure to fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes promptly, and ensure wet spaces (such as the shower, kitchen, and laundry room) are well-ventilated. If your home floods, take care to clean and dry the affected spaces thoroughly.
How to Prevent Mold
Mold thrives in warm, damp places. To prevent mold growth in your home, make sure to fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes promptly, and ensure wet spaces (such as the shower, kitchen, and laundry room) are well-ventilated. If your home floods, take care to clean and dry the affected spaces thoroughly.
If you don’t know what is causing your sore throat and ear pain, your first priority is to find the cause. Consider scheduling an appointment with your healthcare provider for testing to rule out allergies. From there, your provider can help you narrow down a cause.
TMJ
Temporomandibularjoint (TMJ) disordersaffect the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. The joint is located near your ear and is what lets your mouth move when you chew and talk. If you have TMJ pain, it might radiate to your ear.
Othersymptoms of TMJinclude:
Some commonTMJ treatmentsinclude exercises for your jaw, relaxation techniques, heating pads or ice packs, eating soft foods, and wearingbite guards for teeth grindingor clenching.
In some cases,botoxor muscle relaxants can be prescribed to ease the symptoms of TMJ.
Throat and Ear Pain on One Side
Infections like the common cold, strep throat, mono, sinus infections, tooth infections, allergies, TMJ, and acid reflux can all cause pain in the throat and ear.
Usually, you’ll have throat and ear pain on both sides. However, some causes are more likely than others to lead to one-sided ear and throat pain.
For example, if one of your tonsils is more irritated than the other, you might feel discomfort mostly on that side.
It’s also possible to get an ear infection in one ear but not the other. Conditions like TMJ can cause pain on both sides or just one side.
Throat and Ear Pain While Swallowing
Since these parts of your body are linked, you might have pain in your throat and your ear when you swallow if you have tonsillitis or an infection likemono or strep throat.
These infections can also cause problems in the auditory tube, including inflammation, infection, and mucus build-up.
Throat and Ear Pain That Doesn’t Go Away
Throat and ear pain can come and go or can be constant and slow to get better, depending on what is causing the symptoms.
For example, acid reflux is more likely to cause pain that is worse in the morning and gets better later in the day. Seasonal allergies, strep throat, and mono are more likely to come with throat and ear pain that does not go away until the conditions are treated.
Could It Be Cancer?If you have throat pain that lasts more than two weeks or you have a history of alcohol or tobacco use or exposure, talk to your provider. Pain that’s not getting better could be asign of throat cancer.
Could It Be Cancer?
If you have throat pain that lasts more than two weeks or you have a history of alcohol or tobacco use or exposure, talk to your provider. Pain that’s not getting better could be asign of throat cancer.
Diagnosing Throat and Ear Pain
To diagnose the cause of your throat and ear pain, your provider might do a rapid strep test, a mono spot test, or a throat culture.
If thesetests do not find the causeof your pain, you might need to have a computed tomography (CT) scan to look at your sinuses, allergy testing, or an endoscopy (the use of a thin, hollow tube with a light and camera) to look down your throat.
Your provider might also have you try medications that help with specific conditions, like acid reflux, to see if it makes your symptoms better.
Home Remedies for Throat and Ear Pain
There are a few things that you can try to relieve yourthroat and ear pain at home, including:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Although uncommon, it’s important to keep in mind that sore throat pain that lasts longer than two weeks can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, including throat or mouth cancer.
Reasons to see your healthcare provider for a sore throat and earache include:
As always, if you sense that something unusual is going on with your health, even if you cannot pinpoint what it is, contact your healthcare provider.
Summary
Pain in the throat and one or both ears can occur separately or simultaneously. Infections, allergies, and disorders of the jaw are a few common causes of throat and ear pain.
Conditions that cause throat and ear pain can be treated in different ways, such as with prescription or OTC medications and home remedies. For more serious conditions, surgical treatments might be necessary.
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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