The inside of my left ear is painful and i experience a bit of pain when i swallow. are these symptoms of flu or an ear infection?

Doctor can examine: Throat pain can be from a strep throat infection (antibiotics needed), a cold or influenza (antibiotics usually not used), or from some other cause such as allergies, irritants, or an ear infection. Usually, a person sees the doctor if the sore throat is bothersome, recurrent, or doesn't go away quickly (mainly to look for strep throat and check the ears).