Hurts to swallow on right side and earache

If you have ear pain when swallowing, it can make eating, drinking, and talking very difficult. Often when patients complain that their ears hurt when they swallow, it’s due to a nose, throat or ear infection. Find out what could be causing your discomfort so you can get relief.

How a Nose or Throat Infection Can Cause Ear Pain When Swallowing

When germs enter your nose and throat, small pads of immune tissue in the back of the nasal passage called adenoids grow larger to keep you from getting sick. Sometimes, especially in children, adenoids grow so large that they block the eustachian tube which connects the middle ear to the upper throat, leading to a painful ear infection. If adenoid problems lead to ear infections often, your doctor may recommend removing the adenoids.

Another possible cause for your ear pain when swallowing could be from tonsillitis. The tonsils, located in the back of your throat, have the important job of trapping germs but sometimes become infected themselves. When this happens, they become red and swollen and can cause a severe sore throat, fever, and ear pain. Tonsillitis can be viral or bacterial, so see your doctor to discuss whether antibiotics are necessary. If left untreated, tonsillitis can lead to a peritonsillar abscess, a painful pustular growth that may require surgical removal.
 

How an Ear Infection Can Cause Pain When Swallowing

Ear infections can develop when you have a virus, a sinus infection, or allergies. While the eustachian tubes normally drain fluid from the ears, these tubes can become clogged and cause fluid to build up in the ears, leading to ear pain and pressure. When you yawn, sneeze or swallow, the tubes open up to relieve that pressure, which can be painful. Call your ENT doctor if you experience ear pain for a week along with a fever or drainage from the ear.
 

Other Possible Reasons for Your Ear Pain

Ear pain when swallowing can sometimes be a result of a jaw or dental problem.

In temporomandibular joint dysfunction, the jaw bone becomes misaligned with the skull, resulting in ear pain as well as discomfort when chewing and swallowing. This problem can happen from grinding teeth or clenching the jaw, so your doctor or dentist may advise you on ways to stop.

You may also feel pain in the ear if you have a dental abscess, a bacterial infection in the teeth and gums. A dentist can remove the abscess to prevent further infection.
 

A Sound Health Doctor Can Determine Why Your Ear Hurts When You Swallow

If you’ve been experiencing pain in your ear when swallowing and can’t figure out why, call Sound Health to make an appointment to see an ENT Doctor. Our skilled physicians will discuss your symptoms and perform a thorough examination to offer a solution to your discomfort. Call our office at (314) 729-0077.

With review and feedback from CEENTA ENT doctor Jonathan Moss, MD (Matthews)

You swallow and a pain flashes through your ear. You may know that ear pain can be associated with swallowing, but you might not know why. Today, we’ll tell you about some of the reasons you may experience ear pain when swallowing.

Ear infections

The most common cause of the association between ear pain and swallowing is an ear, nose, or throat infection. A very common source is an ear infection. An ear infection occurs when one of your Eustachian tubes becomes swollen or blocked, causing fluid to build up in your middle ear. Viruses or bacteria get caught in the middle ear as a result.

Signs of an ear infection in adults include an earache, fullness in the ear, a stabbing pain in the ear, difficulty hearing, and possible ear drainage. In children, they can include ear pain, pulling at their ear, difficulty hearing, increased crying and irritability, fever, drainage, a loss of appetite, the inability to sleep, a headache, and balance issues.

Swimmer’s ear, which is an infection of the outer ear, can cause more intense pain in the ear canal that can be intensified when chewing, swallowing or pulling on the ear.

Nose and throat infections

The adenoids are immune system tissue located in the back of the nasal passages. They grow larger when they catch germs entering the nose and mouth. If they grow too large, they can block the Eustachian tubes. This adenoid inflammation can cause pain.

Someone with tonsillitis will experience pain when swallowing, and that pain can be referred to the ear. This is commonly experienced by patients after tonsil surgery. Similarly, a peritonsillar abscess can cause pain that extends to the ear and gets worse if someone swallows or opens their mouth.

Other causes

A dental abscess, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, problems with the glossopharyngeal nerve, and other rare conditions can also make your ears hurt when swallowing.

Diagnoses at CEENTA

“There are a multitude of medical conditions that cause ear pain,” CEENTA ENT doctor Jonathan Moss, MD, said. “In children this is most likely ear infections, but not in adults. Adults are commonly misdiagnosed with ear infections due to the symptoms of ear pain, but that is rarely the origin. In adults it is most likely a non-infectious cause. Seeing an ear, nose, and throat specialist is key to getting the right diagnosis and treatment.”

If you are concerned about why your ear hurts when swallowing, schedule an appointment at CEENTA for the premier treatment you deserve.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. Would you like an appointment with Dr. Moss? Call 704-295-3000. You can also schedule an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.

You may also be interested in

Should My Tonsils Be Removed?

Are you or your child constantly dealing with sore tonsils? Find out common symptoms of tonsil infections and how a tonsillectomy could help.

Read More

The Best Time To Take Your Child to an ENT is Any Time

Have you thought about where to take your child when their ear, nose, or throat are infected? Making an ENT appointment for your child can make a huge difference in their formative years.

Read More

Does It Hurt When You Swallow? Here's What You Should Know

Painful swallowing can make eating and drinking difficult. Find out whether it's caused by allergies, sinus infections, GERD, or tonsillitis. 

Read More

What does it mean when it hurts to swallow and your ear hurts?

Why does one side of my throat and ear hurt?

Can an ear infection cause painful swallowing?

How do I stop my throat and ear from hurting on one side?