What do I do if my earring hole is infected?

How are infected ear piercings treated?

1. Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage.
2. Rinsing the infected earlobe with sterile saline.
3. Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area.
4. Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections.

How long does it take for an earring hole infection to heal?

What to Expect: With proper care, most mild earlobe infections will clear up in 1 to 2 weeks. It is common to have them come back without daily earring care.

What does it mean when your earring hole is swollen?

Piercings are a common cause of swelling in the earlobes. A new piercing is an open wound, and swelling is part of the body’s natural reaction to any damage. Most people who get their ears pierced will notice pain and swelling for up to a week, sometimes more.

Can an infected earring make you sick?

Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there’s blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow. you feel hot or shivery or generally unwell.

Is it possible for an earring to get infected?

It’s not that uncommon for a pierced ear to become infected, but it’s not worth waiting for it to fix itself, the infection could make you sick and spread further. Pay special attention to the problem if you’ve got a fever, redness/swelling spreading further than the hole or if the earring gets stuck in the ear.

What causes an ear piercing to get infected?

A piercing can also get infected if there’s too much handling of the piercing or the post of the earring is rough. An infection can also occur if unsterile instruments were used, if the person piercing your ears didn’t use gloves, or if the posts themselves weren’t sterile. It’s fairly easy to identify an infected ear piercing.

When to seek urgent care for an earring infection?

If the earring or earring back becomes embedded in your skin and the piercing is stuck in place, or the infection doesn’t improve with at-home treatment in two to three days. And if you start to develop a fever or the infection starts to spread, seek urgent care, ASAP.

What happens if you have an infected earlobe?

An injury to the earlobe is not one to be taken lightly. Not only can it cause ear deformity, but it can also hinder the proper funnelling of sound waves into the ear; adversely affecting your hearing. This, therefore, necessitates the need for prevention and cure of an infected ear lobe.