I Have Had Throat Pain, Kindly Help Me Out

For 10 days I have had, not so much a pain, more an acute awareness of the area around my thyroid gland . To me it feels slightly swollen as though there is a dry patch to one side inside my throat . If I touch the outside of my throat, whichever area I have touched becomes painful tender for the next hour or so sometimes it feels as though there is a lump when I swallow. Two days ago my left cervical lymph node swelled up to a point where it was very painfull quite visable underneath the skin . I am feeling quite feverish have done so for a couple of days + I have an occasional headache blocking up of my right ear. I saw my GP today was prescribed ear drops for an ear infection , was told my thyroid didn't appear to be swollen but was sent to get blood tests just to check things out. My first thought was that I had managed to get a viral infection but the doctor suggested that that was not the case. I'm 30 years old, fit otherwise healthy although I recently quit smoking after 8 years - Going on my symptoms, what seems likely to be the problem ?