How to identify an ear piercing infection?

Ear piercing infection

• Hi. I have had my ears pierced for over two years now and over that time, my piercing has gotten infected a few times due to use of low quality earrings (i know better now) or maybe lack of better care. Well my question is, after the last time it got infected (i had accidently pulled on it and hurt it while playing soccer and i think the sweat along with dirt from the field got it infected)i now noticed that a bubble had formed around the ring on the back side. It looks like as if it was a calus but when i tried to "pop it" using a clean neddle, it bled but nothing came out. Im not sure if this is just scar tissue and dead skin but it looks really weird as if it has puss inside. It doesnt hurt at all even when i poked it but i just want to know if that is normal or what i could do to get it out. I stopped wearing anything in my ears after i noticed it. I also forgot to mention that i have a little "bubble" on my other ear too but that one is not very big or noticible. I can tell its there when i squeeze my earlobe and i can feel it. Thanks a lot for your time. Hope to hear from you soon, Andre

• Answer:

  Often a piercing done with slightly irritating material like steel or an alloy of gold (usually including copper, silver and trace metals) can cause irritation and prevent complete healing. Switch to an implant certified piece of titanium jewelry for better success. http://jewelry.piercing.org/ can explain more about selecting a safe piece. Other notable cofactors the irritation could be related to: *cleaning products you use; chemical or particulate irritation *the shape and size of the jewelry; a piece out of proportion to your body *mechanical friction/motion of the jewelry; moving it around too much *sleeping on the piercing; putting pressure on the jewelry *tap water/moisture not dried off completely; fluid causing ulceration of the wound bed Stop by for a free consultation if you are in the area. I can send you an appropriate, attractive piece of jewelry if you can not make it in. In the meantime, try to follow simple sensible care described at http://care.piercing.org/ Some people in your situation have success with a judicious application of antiseptic or antibiotic products at this point. Others try to focus on great nutrition [like a balanced diet with additional garlic, vitamin C and minerals like zinc] and apply a dry hot compress [such as a cup of your favorite hot liquid, a heat pad set to medium or a hot washcloth in a Ziploc bag for ten-fifteen minutes once an hour up to bedtime] to increase circulation and build immune response. Make sure to put something absorbent such as a gauze pad or tissue in between you and the compress to keep it from getting sweaty. See your physician if symptoms get worse or do not clear up in the next few days. A physician can do a few things for you, such as a cortisone injection to reduce the bump if it has gone past granulation tissue into permanent scar tissue. Direct pressure from a Q-tip swab, pushing the bump back into the hole for five to ten minutes, repeated every half hour or hour until it goes away has proven to be a safe and effective means of quickly smoothing the appearance. ||| Brian Skellie Piercing Experience-Atlanta www.piercing.org 800-646-0393