There are many reasons why it may hurt when a person swallows. Some of the most common causes are listed below.

Throat pain when swallowing

Listed below are some of the causes why the throat may hurt when swallowing:

• Glandular fever: The illness is caused due to infection by the Epstein Barr virus/EBV. It spreads from an infected person to another via saliva. Hence, it is also known as the kissing disease. It may be noted that about 95 percent of the global population has had EBV infection during their lives. Hence, the disease is very common and more widespread in teens.
• Cancer: Laryngeal cancer or oral cancer are life-threatening diseases that cause throat pain which aggravates whilst swallowing. The tumors may however not always be cancerous. In most cases, the laryngeal glottis is the origin point of the cancer and the malignancy may then metastasize to other organs and areas of the body. Cancer treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy.
• Pharyngitis or tonsillitis: Pharyngitis or tonsillitis are conditions marked by inflammation of the pharynx or tonsils respectively. They are widespread causes of sore throat and subsequent throat pain when swallowing.
  • The conditions may occur due to infections by viruses or bacteria. Viral pharyngitis may occur due to an underlying case of common cold, flu, or other similar illnesses. The viruses get transferred directly to an individual after he/she comes into contact with the viruses that become airborne when an infected person coughs or sneezes and releases droplets into the air. Flu is highly contagious and communicable. Viral infections are treated with ibuprofen and other medications. Strep throat is a form of bacterial pharyngitis that is easily treated with antibiotics.
  • Along with pain when swallowing food or drinks, patients with pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sore throat, or strep throat may also experience additional symptoms like fever, pain in ear, bad breadth, and sudden illness.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases/STDs: Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other STDs may also cause pain when swallowing and sore throat. Women performing oral sex on their male or female partners are at increased risk to contracting the STDs and subsequently suffering from pain when swallowing. The conditions are often treated with antibiotics.
• Swine flu: It is caused due to infection by the H1N1 virus. Pain when swallowing is one of the major symptoms of not just strep throat, but also of swine flu. Hence, all patients who report of pain when trying to swallow are tested are presence of the H1N1 virus. Additional symptoms are similar to the flu, such as fatigue, vomiting, headache, fever, sore throat, chills, sneezing, weight loss, breathlessness, body aches, and watery eyes, etc. It is treated with broad spectrum antivirals.

Ear Pain when swallowing

Discussed below are some of the reasons why the ear may hurt when swallowing:

• Ear infection: It is one of the most common causes of ear pain when swallowing, chewing, or performing activities that involve the use of areas adjacent to the ear. Other symptoms include high fever and fluid discharge from ear, etc.
• Mumps: It is a highly contagious but uncommon illness caused due to infection by viruses. The condition may not directly cause ear pain when swallowing, but the painful feeling in ear is quite common in mumps patients. Ear pain is more pronounced when chewing foods rather than when swallowing drinks or food.
• Eustachian tube obstruction: The Eustachian tube is a tiny canal which joins the back of the nose and the upper throat to the middle ear. It opens up when yawning or swallowing. It helps regulate the air pressure in relation to the middle ear and the external environment. Hence, any kind of Eustachian tube blockage or malfunction can cause pain when swallowing.
• Thermal laryngitis: It refers to larynx injuries caused due to heat and is marked by damage to the mucosa that lines the larynx. Patients may suffer from hoarse voice, sore throat, breathing issues, pain when swallowing, and occasionally ear pain when swallowing or not.
• Quincy/Peritonsillar abscess: A severe complication of tonsil infection or tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess is another common cause of ear pain when swallowing. Additional symptoms include sore throat, malaise, fever, and inability to completely open the mouth.
• Sinusitis: It is a rare cause of ear pain when swallowing and occurs only when the infections pass from the sinus to the throat and cause throat infections.

Home remedies for pain/hurt when swallowing

Prolonged and persistent cases of pain when swallowing needs to be checked by a doctor as it may be caused due to serious underlying disorders.

Mild instances of throat and ear pain when swallowing may be alleviate with the following home remedies:

• Drinking hot beverages such as soups, ginger tea, coffee, herbal tea, etc. at regular intervals can help find relief from sore throat and alleviate pain when swallowing food or drinks.
• Sharp pain in throat during swallowing can be reduced by chewing on a few garlic cloves. Another benefit is the fact that garlic naturally has antibacterial properties.
• Another useful home remedy for sore throat is apple cider vinegar. It is especially useful for alleviation of cough and bacterial infections of the throat. Mix apple cider vinegar with honey and lemon and drink the solution on a daily basis.
• Throat pain which occurs even when yawning can be eased with regular gargling with salt water. Turmeric has natural disinfecting properties; hence you may even add some turmeric to the salt water and gargle 3 to 4 times per day.
• Drink warm milk with a bit of salt before sleeping to soothe an inflamed throat.
• Vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps fight all kinds of infections. Hence, people with recurrent, though minor, incidences of throat hurt when swallowing can eat vitamin C abundant citrus fruits to strengthen the immune system and prevent bacterial infections of the throat.
• Boil some water and add a gram of cinnamon and 1 tsp. of honey to it. Drink the solution three to four times per day.