The left side of my throat suddenly developed a sharp pain when swallowing. the gland does not feel swollen to the touch. what could it be?

Many different cause: There are many different causes for sore throat. However, the most common thing to cause a sore throat is a viral infection. If you don't have fever or other symptoms, i always recommend trying simple measures first…cold liquids, pain medication and even honey. If that doesn't work or if more symptoms develop, you should get that checked out.

Please see below: Acute painful swallowing is usually due to infection or trauma. If you had a cough cold, may be due to pharyngitis. If this persists , this needs to be evaluated by a physician.