Thank you for consulting with Doctorspring. I understand that your symptoms started after you had a cold. Your GP was right in saying that is may be due to a ear infection since the ear, nose ad throat are all interconnected anatomically and so when there is a severe enough infection in one of the three areas, it could spread to others. The symptoms in your case maybe due to a residual mucosal inflammation and muscle spasm every time you eat or drink something. The symptoms will considerably reduce in severity if you could take an NSAID like Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. You could try gargling warm water with salt which may also reduce your throat discomfort.

A mild viral infection itself can cause body ache and stiffness in your upper body. GERD is unlikely to present in this way. It is more associated with upper abdominal discomfort and pain. More proof that it is not GERD is the failure of your symptoms to ameliorate with antacids.

Although it is unlikely that these symptoms are serious, since your throat burning and discomfort are not associated with voice change or difficulty in swallowing, they are unlikely to be due to any serious issues. But if you are a smoker aged more than 40, or have any of these symptoms, I would advise you to meet an ENT specialist to rule out some smoking related issues including cancer.