When Should I See A Doctor For An Infected Piercing
If you think you may have an infection, especially if it’s a cartilage piercing, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible to avoid complications and get started on antibiotics, says Shannahan. Don’t wait to see if an infected piercing will heal on its own, especially if you already see it worsening.
A doctor may recommend topical antibiotics such as Neosporin, or oral antibiotics, depending on infection severity. Infections can occur near the piercing site, but it can also affect the whole body, so medical attention is critical.
“If an infected piercing isn’t treated, it can lead to issues at the site like abscesses , scarring, or deformities. More commonly in body piercings than ear piercings, there can also be conditions that affect the entire body like blood or heart infections,” says Shannahan.
Treating An Infected Ear Piercing
As mentioned earlier, some ear-piercing infections require that you see the doctor. However, for mild infections, you can treat the infection wound yourself with ease. Indeed, several DIY treatments are now available that you can explore, such as dandruff shampoo.
The zinc pyrithione in dandruff shampoo is an excellent antibacterial that can aid the healing process of infected ear piercings. It can also prevent infection.
However, the primary way to treat infected ear piercings involves using saline water to gently clean the infected area and an over-the-counter antibiotic cream to kill the bacteria. Proceed as follows
It also helps to change your pillowcase with a clean one at least every two days. Avoid alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, as these can potentially irritate the area.
How Can I Clear An Ear
If no fever is present, the infection seems mild, and there is very little pain, then it will be a lot easier to clear up the infection at home using simple over the counter washes. This statement pretty much goes for most all ear piercings.
To begin, thoroughly wash both hands using warm, soapy water. This will ensure that no other germs or bacteria will be introduced into the already infected piercing site.
Next, prepare a warm salt water solution to apply directly to the infected area. This can be made by taking one-quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt and mixing it with one cup of boiling water. Let the solution cool slightly.
While the water is still warm, use your fingers and a sterile cotton or gauze pad to apply the salt water to the front and back of the piercing site. After youre done cleaning the area, use a clean, dry paper towel to dry your earlobes.
Try not to reach for a towel or a face cloth as these things can be loaded with germs and bacteria, especially if they are not coming directly from the dryer.
Make sure to clean the infected area twice a day with the sea salt solution, and space out the cleanings as far apart as possible. A good rule of thumb is to clean the area once in the morning and once at night.
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How To Treat Your Infected Ear Piercing
Follow these steps to treat your infected ear piercing at home:
- Always wash your hands with soap and water before touching your ear piercing area
- Do not remove the earring because this can cause the bacteria to become trapped in your piercing
- Rinse your ear piercing using a saline or salt water solution twice a day. To create a salt water solution, combine 1/4 tsp salt with 8 oz of distilled water. Warm up the water, then soak a clean cotton round in the solution and apply it to your ear piercing for at least 30 seconds.
- Pat dry and apply an antibiotic solution
- Gentry turn the piercing twice a day so that it does not become stuck to the skin
How Common Are Infected Ear Piercings
Millions of people get their ears pierced, and most of them have no serious complications. Mild irritation and infections are common, however, for new piercings. In most cases, infections arent serious and clear up quickly.
The earlobes are fleshy and fatty, with strong blood flow. They heal quickly, reducing the risk of an earlobe infection. The upper ear is cartilage, a thick, stiff tissue with less blood flow.
Piercings in the upper ear are more likely to become infected, and infections in the upper ear are sometimes serious.
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How To Treat An Infected Ear Piercing Without It Closing
While treating your ear piercing or when taking care of it, you may realize that yes it healed but the hoe closed. No one would want to undergo piercing process over and over. Therefore, there are steps you can follow to avoid closing the hole in the name of treatment. You can treat minor infections at home by keeping the infected area clean and using sea salt soaks to draw out irritants. However you can follow the steps below while caring for your infected piercing:Step 1While the first earrings are intact, use antibacterial or antimicrobial soap to wash your hands to avoid introducing new bacteria to the infected area. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds with the soap.Step 2Make a solution of 1 tbsp. of non-iodized sea salt in 8 ounces of warm distilled waterStep 3Soak the infected ear piercing in the salt solution for three to five minutes. If possible, fill a small cup with the solution and submerge the infected lobe. If this is uncomfortable or you have an attached earlobe that makes this difficult, soak sterile gauze or cotton swabs in the solution and apply generous amounts of the solution to the infected area.Step 4Rinse your ear piercing with clean, warm water and dry with a clean paper towel. Do not use a hand towel or washcloth because they can transfer germs to the wound.Step 5You can repeat this method at least once a day in conjunction with your regular cleaning regimen until the infection clears.More references
Searching For A Piercing Cleaning Solution
If you’re looking for a safe product to clean your piercings, Dr. Piercing Aftercare can help.
At Dr. Piercing Aftercare, we’ve developed convenient medicated swabs that you can use to clean your piercings and keep infection away. We are proud of our products. They are made and tested in a cGMP compliant and FDA-registered facility in America.
We use advanced technology on our swabs for easy application. Each pack contains thirty-six medicated swabs that are proven and tested to promote your body’s natural healing process while preventing infection. Contact us today, or you can check out our website to learn more about our products.
- Dr. Piercing Aftercare is distributed exclusively by:Broadway Products LLC
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Pierced Ears: How To Prevent Painful Infections
Driven by family tradition or fashion, thousands of kids get their ears pierced each year. Generally, ear piercing is a safe procedure, but a common complication is infection. Although pierced ear infections usually arent severe, they can cause a great deal of discomfort. Heres what you need to know to help keep your little ones ear piercings healthy and infection-free.
Whats An Infected Ear Piercing
An infected ear piercing is an ear piercing that fails to heal the right way. Typically, a new ear piercing takes six to eight weeks to heal. Higher piercings may take up to 12 weeks. Whichever the case, the healing usually progresses without any alarms or excessive pain. The wound should have healed entirely within the stipulated period.
If the wound exhibits unusual signs such as excessive redness, swelling, warmth, itchiness, or tenderness, its likely to be infected. The same applies if the piercing is taking longer than usual to heal.
The most common cause is a bacterial infection. If bacteria find a way into the fresh wound, it can result in an infection. Getting pierced in an unhygienic environment is the leading cause of bacterial infections, followed by unsterilized equipment. Touching the wound with dirty hands also increases the risk of infection.
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When To See An Ent Specialist For An Ear Infection
Make an appointment with an ENT specialist. As mentioned, a minor infection of an ear piercing can be treated at home successfully. However, if the following symptoms below develop, be sure to get medical assistance. A fever develops. Beyond the piercing site, the infection, or redness and inflammation, spreads. If within 2 days the infection doesnt improve with home treatment. The earring is immovable. The earring clasp is embedded in your skin.Remember, with proper care and cleaning, you can reduce the risk of ear piercing infections. In the event you experience an extreme case of infection, for assistance.
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Causes Of Infections In Newly Pierced Ear
- Piercing the ears with tools or earring posts that aren’t clean
- Not cleaning the earlobes daily
- Taking the earring out before the channel is healed
- Touching earrings with dirty hands
- Earring backs that are too tight against the earlobe. Reason: pressure from tight earrings reduces blood flow to the earlobe.
- Posts that have nickel in them can also cause an itchy, allergic reaction
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Is Tea Tree Oil Good For Infected Piercings
Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties that make it a triple threat in piercing aftercare. Not only can it be used to care for certain piercings during their initial healing process, but it can also be used long-term to minimize irritation and prevent infection.
Signs Of An Infection
- Breathing difficulties
- Swollen mouth and tongue that blocks the airway
No matter where you were pierced, there is a risk of infection, hepatitis B or C, and tetanus. You may also develop a nasal staph infection if the jewelry is pierced through the hard nasal cartilage instead of the softer, fleshy part of the septum.
“Some sites are more prone to infection than others. For example, high-rim ear piercings in the cartilage lead to infections more often than ear lobe piercings because they don’t have as much blood flow,” says Shannahan.
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Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations
If your childs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
Minor Infection in Newly Pierced Ear in Last 6 Weeks
Minor Infection in Ear Pierced More Than 6 Weeks Ago and Healed
What You Need To Do
Rinse the affected area using salt water. Dip a cotton ball in castor oil. Gently apply it on the affected area. Leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse it off using lukewarm water and pat dry.
Things To Remember
Clean the pierced area every day. Do so gently and using clean hands. Make sure to keep the area dry. Avoid using alcohol on the wound. Don’t play with the piercing. Let the wound heal on its own time. Don’t change the jewellery frequently. Always make sure to sterilise the jewellery before putting it in the piercing. Don’t use all these remedies at once. Choose the one you find comfortable and stick to that.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Infected Ear Piercings
Some pain and redness are part of the normal healing process for pierced ears. It can be easy to confuse those with signs of infection. Symptoms that may indicate an infection include:
- Discharge coming out of the piercing.
- Redness, warmth or swelling around the piercing.
- Tenderness in the pierced earlobe or cartilage.
How Is A Severely Infected Ear Piercing Treated
If you have a major infection or it involves the cartilage of your ear, you’re probably going to need to remove the piercing. “The piercing site needs time to rest and for the immune system to calm down,” Dr. Mankarious explains.
And really, as sucky as it is to remove a piercing you were psyched about, this isnt something you want to mess with. Failure to remove hardware in a timely manner could result in the need for hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics and/or surgical intervention for drainage of pus or to cut away the diseased, non-salvageable tissue, with a greater possibility of deformity as a result, Dr. Kaplan says. So, yeah…you dont want that.
That doesn’t mean you have to live a piercing-free existence, though. “Getting an infection does not mean you cannot be re-pierced, it simply means that technique surrounding the cleaning or the metal used was inadequate for your needs,” Dr. Mankarious says.
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How To Heal An Infected Ear Piercing
An infected ear piercing can be extremely painful and can even end with a visit to the doctor if it gets too bad. If your piercing has developed an infection, its best to start treating it early. Before you start treating the pain, its important to deduce whether you are actually suffering from an ear piercing an infection or an earring allergy.
Simple And Natural Ways To Heal Your Ear Piercing At Home
Ear piercing is a popular fashion today. Undoubtedly, it has evolved significantly with the passage of time. But what about the infections and other problems associated with this form of body art? Yes, the problem is still the same. Not anymore! Heres how you can heal it in a natural way.
The large variety of earrings in the market make you go for them whenever you see them, isnt it? Regardless of the voguish jewelry range, people love to get their ear pierced for a number of reasons. In fact, it is the most common form of piercing, which is popular all across the globe. For this reason, not only ladies but even males are also eager to get it done. But, it is worth noticing that once the piercing takes place, the individual might suffer from severe pain and difficulties.
Below are listed some easy solutions to get safer and healthier piercing done. Read on.
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How Can I Prevent An Ear Infection After The Piercing
Preventing an ear infection after youve just gotten your ears pierced is fairly simple. First and foremost, always follow the aftercare instructions that the piercer has given you. Regular hand washing is also one of the best ways to prevent any possible infections down the road.
Additionally, take care not to injure the piercing site because broken skin becomes an easy place for bacteria to sneak in and begin an infection.
And most importantly, always, always, always look for a reputable piercer to do your piercings. Look for someone with experience, who has high standards for cleanliness and hygiene, keeps an immaculate shop, and follows the best safety standards. Dont be afraid to ask to see their instruments. Sterile instruments will be packaged in special sterilization packets and will have been run through a special sterilization machine called an autoclave.
Finally, make sure you use a type of metal that wont cause an allergic reaction. Therefore, its good to know what types of metals you are and are not allergic to.
Determine If Your Piercing Is Infected
The first thing is to determine if your piercing is actually infected. “A piercing may be infected if you notice redness, swelling, pain or tenderness, warmth, crusting, and yellow drainage around the piercing site,” says Chang. “More severe infections can lead to spreading redness/swelling, fevers, chills, and swollen lymph nodes.”
“My experience is that bellybutton piercings are the ones most at risk for infections. The second most common would be nose piercings,” says Zalka.
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Effective Home Remedies To Treat Infected Piercing
Piercing, especially the ears and nose, is a relatively common practice. But with the new trends coming in, people have started piercing various other parts such as upper lip, eyebrow, navel etc., to name a few.
A newly done piercing always need some care as there are chances of it getting infected. However, it is also true that an old piercing can also get infected. Constant tugging, changing the piercing frequently and not taking proper care of it can be a few reasons why your piercing might have got infected.
Although most of the people experience the usual discomfort and pain during the healing process, there are a few who have quite a different experience. And as they say, you can’t be too careful. There is a certain after-care to be done after getting a piercing.
So whether it is a newly-done piercing or an old piercing that has become infected, here are some remedies that can help you treat the infection and alleviate the pain.