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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Hurts To Swallow. Could It Be Related To Smoking Steadily ?

Starting to get a bit worried- for the last three days now(maybe even a bit longer) it has hurt to swallow...the hurt it getting worse, to the point of eating soup to avoid the pain. could it have something to do with smoking steadily now since i was around 13-15 years old, I am after all 32 now and that would be roughly 15-20 years of smoking a pack a day.....I am really starting to worry that it may be the dreaded c word.
at first i thought strep or getting sick, but i have no symptoms of being sick!
symptoms are pain when swallowing-only on right side Adams apple, swelling on right side under the jawline, and my ear is starting to hurt. very strange when i consider i have no cold or fever or cough....should i go to the doc.?
posted on Sat, 1 Jun 2013
Twitter Mon, 10 Jun 2013 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 10 Jun 2013 Last reviewed on
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Pain Medicine & Palliative Care Specialist,  's  Response
Hi,
Thank you for your question.
These symptoms could be due to a middle ear infection. The swallowing can alter the pressure within the middle ear and if there is an infection there any rise in pressure would be painful. The swelling under the jaw may be an inflamed gland due to an infection. This may occur without you feeling ill in the early stages.
Much rarer would be cancer in this area although I understand your concerns.
I would recommend you visit your doctor for further help. Your doctor will be able to examine the area and look at your eardrum which may help diagnose the problem. in the meantime, you could take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with pain.
I hope this has helped.
Good luck and best regards.
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Hurts To Swallow. Could It Be Related To Smoking Steadily ?

Hi, Thank you for your question. These symptoms could be due to a middle ear infection. The swallowing can alter the pressure within the middle ear and if there is an infection there any rise in pressure would be painful. The swelling under the jaw may be an inflamed gland due to an infection. This may occur without you feeling ill in the early stages. Much rarer would be cancer in this area although I understand your concerns. I would recommend you visit your doctor for further help. Your doctor will be able to examine the area and look at your eardrum which may help diagnose the problem. in the meantime, you could take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with pain. I hope this has helped. Good luck and best regards.