Piercings

Infected Ear Piercing, Signs, Bumps, Pain, How to Clean

cropped How to Treat an Infected Ear Piercing

Ear piercing is a very old practice that is followed all over the world. At times as fashion but sometimes as a trend whatever is the reason, ear piercing practice has not only touched human life, but has also become a part of human life.

In spite of the sharp pain brought about during piercing of the ear, people still like to move on with this practice. Apart from this, the practice also holds religious significance in certain parts of the world. From a medical perspective, ear piercing may at times make the ear prone to ear piercing infection.

However, the infection ear piercing may not be considered as life threatening infection. Ear piercing infection is one of the common types of infections in the human body.

As pointed out earlier, ear piercing does not lead to any health issues as such, but still some individuals who pierce the ears are very prone to a large number of microbial infections in the first weeks of ear piercing. Infected ear piercing should always be treated as soon as possible as negligence of the same for a prolonged period may lead to severe painful condition thus spreading of infection to the larger area of the ear.

Teenagers and children are even more prone to ear piercing infection and hence it becomes important to keep details on the causes, symptoms and treatment for ear piercing infection. Much better would be by following the preventive steps so that the ear piercing infection does not happen in the first place.

In some cases inflammation of the perichondrium or perichondritis may also result to ear piercing infection and thus becoming important to seek medical advice from a medical doctor as soon as the symptoms are suspected.

What Causes Infected Ear Piercing

Ear piercing infection is not always brought about by piercing the ear, but this cannot be neglected as the chances are not minimal. Ear piercing infection is caused due to entry of the microbes and germs on the skin through the pierced area. Indicated below are some of the highlighted causes of ear piercing infection.

  • Use of unsterilized equipment for piercing the ear.
  • Touching the newly pierced ear lobes using dirty, the unhygienic and unwashed hands.
  • Use of tight earrings or over-tightening of the clasp may lead to reduction of the flow of blood to the ear lobes making them to be prone to infections.
  • Uneven and rough surface that is found on the earring that may lead to repetitive scratching on the infected part.
  • Allergic reaction to the metal used for ear piercing, especially nickel allergy, which is more commonly found in the children as well as teenagers.

Signs of Infected Ear Piercing

Here are symptoms of infected piercing:

  • Pain at the infected parts.
  • Yellow discharge that may be emanated the pierced area.
  • Burning sensation.
  • Irritation in the affected region.
  • Redness or appearance of red bumps on the infected ear.
  • Swelling.

Ear Piercing Healing Time

Body piercings heals in different rates, which implies that, some takes longer to heal that the other. Areas that have greater blood flow tend to heal faster. Such areas include ear lobes, lips and tongue.

Areas that experience low blood flow tend to take longer to heal. They include; cartilage which is on the outer ear, nose and belly button. However, these area more caring to promote faster healing.

Too much cleaning of a body piercing can also slow the rate of healing. Doing it lightly twice a day is recommended. Use gentle or mild products to clean such as sterile saline wound wash. This solution helps to irrigate the new piercing without causing irritations to sensitive skin.

Avoid use of iodine based products and ointment which can cause dust to stick of the piercing and lead to accumulation of pus.

There are complications associated with body piercing which may vary with the individuals. Example is a keloid scar tissue which mostly forms behind the back of the ear, on the cartilage or on the nose. This type of complication is really hard to treat.

Do and Don’ts during the Ear Piercing Healing Process:

  • You should never twist, turn or slide your jewelry, because that might push bacteria into your healing ear piercing.
  • If you have to touch your ear piercing for some reason, be sure to wash your hands with antibacterial soap or put on gloves first.
  • If you see “crusties” form around your piercing, don’t worry. During the healing process, it’s normal for the body to excrete lymph, which is a clear substance that dries to a whitish crust. The best way to deal with crusties is to soak them with saline salt solution to soften them, and then gently wipe them away with a tissue.
  • Do not apply any oils, creams or balms to your piercings while they’re healing. Once fully healed, you can use Smelly Gelly as a deodorizer that will also act as a helpful lubricant when inserting tapers and new jewelry.
  • Protect your earlobe and helix piercings from hair products, because they can irritate your sensitive new piercing. Shield your ear when you apply hair spray, and keep gel and mousse away from your ear piercings.
  • Try not to sleep on your side during the healing process, particularly if you’ve recently gotten a helix piercing. You’re likely to wake up with a throbbing red ear if you do.

Infected Ear Piercing Pain

Ears can be pierced for several reasons including cosmetic reasons at any age, and during the middle years of childhood, some people especially youngsters may ask to voluntarily have their ears pierced.

If the piercing is performed carefully and cared for, there is very minimal pain, no matter the age of a child. However, as a normal general guideline, push ahead the piercing until the child is mature enough to take care of the pierced site herself and not to injure herself.

For the right piercing procedure, ensure to have a doctor, a nurse or experienced technician perform the procedure. Rubbing alcohol or any other disinfectants must be used to minimize the chances of an infection.

At the period of the piercing, a round, gold-post earring should be the best to be inserted; in fact, some piercing instruments themselves can put the gold posts in place at the same time, thus avoiding any additional probing that can increase the chance of infection. The gold in the posts will reduce the risk of an allergic reaction and inflammation in the area.

After the piercing, use rubbing alcohol or an antibiotic ointment to the area at least two times a day for a few days; the applications can cut down the chances of infection and sped up the healing process.

The earring should not be removed for before a period of about four to six weeks, but should be gently rotated each and every day. If the area of piercing becomes red or tender, an infection can be developing, and you should seek medical attention promptly.

Infected Ear Piercing Bump

The reasons for getting an infected ear piercing bump can be always different, especially from non – sterilized equipment to and including non-professional aftercare treatment.

If you develop any bump at this site of a body piercing, draining the infected ear piecing bump should never be a personal endeavor to do it yourself. A bump, especially if the site turns red, swollen or painful, or drains pus, could indicate a staphylococcus infection or other bacteria. See the doctor immediately; the doctor may choose to drain the bump and send the fluid for testing to observe the type of bacteria in it. In the meantime, the doctor may start you on an oral antibiotic.

Any time that you create a wound in the skin like a body piercing, then you run the risk of developing an infection. The risk might increase if the equipment that is used to create the opening is not scrupulously cleaned and sterilized between uses.

Signs of an infected ear piercing are tenderness, a yellow discharge, redness, and some swelling. The most usual cause of infection is piercing the ears with unsterile equipment, inserting unsterile posts, or frequently touching the earlobes with dirty hands.

Another common cause of infected ear piercing is earrings that are very tight either due to the post is too short as the thickness of earlobes varies or the clasp is closed too tightly. Tight earrings won’t allow air to enter the channel through the normal earlobe. Also, the pressure that comes from tight earrings reduces blood flow to the earlobe and makes it more vulnerable to infection.

When to See a Doctor

  • If your ear piercing oozing thick, yellow pus
  • If the skin around your piercing bright red or are there red streaks radiating from your piercing?
  • If the skin around your ear piercing hot to the touch?
  • If you are running a fever
  •  If your ear excessively swollen

How to Clean Infected Ear Piercing

  • Remove the earrings from the infected ear and wipe the area using a diluted solution of alcohol. Doing this not only dehydrates, but also gets rid of all the microorganisms on the skin and assists in prevention of ear infections. Repeat the process at least thrice a day for the initial 15 to 30 days of ear piercing.
  • Application of any antibiotic cream on pierced area regularly before bedtime and after a shower.
  • Keeping the telephone and similar things sterilized and clean helps in preventing the ears from getting infected and also reduces the chances of ear piercing infection since they come in direct contact with the ear.
  • The earring has to be rotated or removed from the ear at least once a day.
  • Wash the hands thoroughly before touching the earrings since hands are generally dirty and may lead to ear piercing infection.
  • Make sure not to get rid of the earring from the infected ear piercing. If the earring is removed and the hole closes there are high chances that the infection will get trapped and lead to further complications.

How to Treat Infected Ear Piercing

saline solution

saline solution for wound cleaning

Some studied simple ear piercing care options and solutions can at a great level reduce symptoms of an infection.

Always wash the hands using soap and water before touching the uninfected or infected ears – bacteria on the fingers can easily transfer onto the new piercings, accumulate, and make the tender area a breeding ground for more germs. Similarly, avoid touching the piercings or pulling on the earrings while also wearing them.

For the current infections, antiseptic solutions or even antibiotic ointments can provide an immediate relief. Remove the earrings and sterilize them by rubbing some alcohol after every four hours. Wash the pierced area using soap and water or even an antiseptic solution that is developed specifically for the ear.

Use an antibiotic ointment to the earrings’ posts before reinserting them to the lobes of the infected ear piercing, and make sure to be turning the posts around in the lobes until you find a more comfortable position for them.

Take some ibuprofen or acetaminophen to manage lingering pain. Complete the course of any oral antibiotics the doctor or the dermatologists prescribes for the particularly more severe infections. Following these steps should combat an infection within a few weeks.

Once your infection goes away, plan on insert your earrings and leave them in position for six weeks while your piercings’ holes adjusts to their new shape.

Ear Piercing Care

  • Individuals that are suffering from keloids, are bleeding and are also easily prone to infections that results from staphylococcus should avoid any kind of ear piercing.
  • Avoid any form of gunshot piercing as this may lead to tissue damage.
  • Piercing of the ears must only be done by an experienced expert that using sterile techniques.
  • Keep the clasp loose enough in order to maintain the flow of blood in the ear loop.
  • The initial post to be used should be either of stainless steel or even gold.

Caring for a New Piercing

After experiencing a piercing, it is crucial to keep the area very clean and dry. The piercer may provide you with aftercare advice for the type of piercing that you have.

However, a lot of piercers advise of gentle cleaning new piercings with a saline (sea salt water soak) solution at least twice a day most preferably after washing or bathing.

You can repeat this process by submerging of the area in a cleaner jug or bowl that has a saline solution (1/4 teaspoon of sea salt per one egg cup or a shot glass of warm water) for a few minutes at a time.

Alternatively, you can also wet a clean cloth or gauze in the solution and apply it as a warm compress.

This can be helpful to soften any discharge and allow you to fully clean the entry and exit points of the piercing with a cotton bud or a clean tissue. Once the discharge is gotten rid of or softened, the jewelry will be gently moved so as to work a little warm water through the piercing.

When you have finished to apply, make sure you are careful to dry the area with a fresh piece of paper towel or kitchen roll.

Not all experts to that new piercings should be regularly cleaned in this manner, as it is concerned with fiddling of the piercing and getting it wet, which may actually increase the risk of infection if the saline solution is not very strong. Don’t over clean your piercing, as this can irritate the skin and delay healing.

Wash the hands using warm water and antibacterial soap before touching or washing your piercing, and make sure that any clothing and bedding that may come into contact with the area around the piercing is clean.

If an infection occurs

If the piercing is infected, the surrounding skin can be red and swollen. It will mostly hurt when you touched and may produce a yellow or even a green discharge.

If you experience a fever or any of the listed symptoms, see your general practitioner immediately. A delay in the treatment can lead to a serious infection.

Leave the jewelry in, unless the doctor tells you to take it out. This will allow proper drainage and thus preventing a painful collection of pus (abscess) from forming.

In several cases, the infection can be able to be treated without losing the piercing. Minor infections can be treated with antibiotic cream, and a more serious infection can require antibiotic tablets. The doctor can provide advice on which treatment is best for you.

Draining Infected Ear piercing

Pus-filled pierced areas can be very painful and even harmful. Before it develops into very severe infection, it is important to treat the wound in a proper. If the infection is not leading redness and swelling, it is then likely that you can treat it properly at home. To drain and heal the infected ear piercing, you may need to consider these steps:

  • Remove the piercing earring and clean the pierced part by use of a cotton swab that is dipped in saline solution. Avoid use of hydrogen peroxide as it can damage not only the bacteria but also the white blood cells that is responsible for combating infection. Topical ointment is also not recommended as it can prevent the air from getting into the piercing.
  • Apply a hot compress that consist of hot water and Epsom salt especially to the piercing. Leave it for a few minutes to encourage the infection to drain. Since you need to compress a small area with limited access, make the hot compress out of soaked cotton gauze or cotton ball. You can also move the hot compress around the piercing hole carefully. This will trigger the pus to drain from the infection.
  • Clean the drainage that is coming out of the infection. Use a clean cotton swab to absorb drainage which comes into the piercing hole. Dab the cotton swab cautiously to prevent drained pus to come into the hole.
  • Clean the area well where pus gets out from, in order to prevent it from spreading the germs and bacteria to other parts of the ear.
  • Pat the infected area dry and avoid contact with any unclean hazards by covering it using breathable gauze and change the dressing regularly.
  • Some over-the-counter treatments for ear piercing may be found at the drugstore, but you can also apply natural remedies, like the tea tree oil and neem oil to clear up the infection and increase the rate of healing by letting the substances destroy the residing germs.
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