The Student Room Group

Is it infected?

Hi people.

I recently got my upper ear/cartilage pierced with a silver stud. It didn't hurt, and it hadn't for about three or four days, but it was sore if moved. Then yesterday, I was out with my mother when she waved her hand around and accidentally hit me in the ear.

It hurt a lot because it was already sore...but today I woke up to it hurting a LOT more. My entire right upper ear is swollen red. Twirling the stud doesn't hurt, but pushing or pulling it does. When I bend over, my heartbeat can be felt more strongly and I can feel my pulse in my ear, meaning that it throbs with my heartbeat (obviously blood's flowing) but it still hurts with extreme soreness!

I'm terrified that it's infected cos I actually want it to heal so I can pierce the second stud next to it. Even as I'm typing this, my ear is throbbing painfully.

Is it infected? My ear is just red and swollen, not disfigured or abnormally swelling...

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Reply 1
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=257612
That should be able to help you a bit.

It could just be a bit hurt rather than infected. When I have knocked my piercings (even when nearly healed) they have sometimes got a lot worse then when I was first healling them but I just go back to the cleaning process until it clears up.
Reply 2
i read on this site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

...that symptoms of infection include redness, swelling, pain and pus like discharge.

i have the redness and swelling with extreme soreness but not excruciating pain Nor the discharge. Do i have to have all these symptoms at the same time for it to be an infection?
Reply 3
strawberry
i read on this site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tattoos-and-piercings/MC00020

...that symptoms of infection include redness, swelling, pain and pus like discharge.

i have the redness and swelling with extreme soreness but not excruciating pain Nor the discharge. Do i have to have all these symptoms at the same time for it to be an infection?


you only had it pierced a few days ago. Expect it to be sore for a while and red when you knock it. My Tragus was sore and red for a few weeks. When I knocked it taking a top off or something the soreness would get worse. But it wasn't infected.

If you are really worried you could go back to your piercer and ask. (if you went somewhere that used a gun I suggest going to a place that use only needles for advice on if it's infected, they will know more.)
Reply 4
I went to a place that used the gun...but so far, what i'm having just seems to be the trauma that i had when mom swiped it accidentally. Red, swollen and throbbing soreness. Doesn't sound like an infection so far, but i'm not too sure
Reply 5
btw, might i add that i'm terrified?
Reply 6
strawberry
I went to a place that used the gun...but so far, what i'm having just seems to be the trauma that i had when mom swiped it accidentally. Red, swollen and throbbing soreness. Doesn't sound like an infection so far, but i'm not too sure


never use a gun for piercings, especially cartilage ones!


It's probably just hurt (as other posters have said) - someone knocked my cartilage piercing soon after it was done and I have never felt pain like it, I was practically on the floor. Just put some anti-septic on it and leave it alone, don't keep twisting it and don't sleep on it, at least for a few days.

Also, calm down - if it's not got pus coming out then it's really not as likely to be an infection.
Reply 7
yeah. i'm not going back to that place. I found another place that uses the needle for navel and body piercings. dunno if they use the needle for cartilage piercings though...

should've researched just a little more on gun usage. but thanks.
btw, when you got smacked, did your piercing swell up too?
Reply 8
Guns are a bad idea. Go to a reputable piercer to see if it's infected...if they think it might be, they will tell you to go to a doctor and get anti-biotics.

Don't remove it, don't touch it, don't sleep on it, etc. Do warm sea-salt soaks twice a day (1/4tsp sea salt to 8oz water), and nothing else. It's probably just irritated.
Reply 9
I wrote a long reply, but my computer went crazy and it got lost.

Stop touching it. Stop putting anything on it. Clean it twice a day with a warm salt water solution, and nothing else. Do it more if necessary (ie it looks gunky). DO not pull, push or twirl it.
Reply 10
i'm uh holding antiseptic to it now and also took an aspirin.
Reply 11
strawberry
i'm uh holding antiseptic to it now

No! Stop!

It wants only SALT WATER SOAKS
Reply 12
it doesnt sound infected to me. u sually they puss if infected. the cartalidge @ the top of your ear is extremley sensitive, thats y u find that if you hit your ear (without earings) it hurts more than normal, so with an ear ring in it is bound 2 effect it more. id try not to move it 4 a few days, n if it does start to puss, soak it in warm salty water, otherwise leave it be and the swelling should go down. i wouldn suggest getting your second stud either until this 1 has completly healed.

hope it heals ok xx
Reply 13
okay. what if I don't have sea salts?
Reply 14
strawberry
okay. what if I don't have sea salts?

You must have some sort of salt. Rock salt, table salt etc? It's not as good, but better than anything else you've ben doing.

If you haven't got any, then go out and buy some.
Reply 15
well yeah I have table salt.
Reply 16
Juno
No! Stop!

It wants only SALT WATER SOAKS


what?

nothing wrong with doing it with anti-septic, I did on all my piercings, none of this salt water stuff.

strawberry
yeah. i'm not going back to that place. I found another place that uses the needle for navel and body piercings. dunno if they use the needle for cartilage piercings though...

should've researched just a little more on gun usage. but thanks.
btw, when you got smacked, did your piercing swell up too?


yeah it did, red, painful and throbbing.
Reply 17
Thud
what?

nothing wrong with doing it with anti-septic, I did on all my piercings, none of this salt water stuff.



yeah it did, red, painful and throbbing.

There is lots wrong with doing antispetic actually. Good piercings only recommend salt water soaks, because that's what is best.
Reply 18
okay. that's a relief. cos that's what's happening. Swollen, I might add.
Reply 19
Juno
There is lots wrong with doing antispetic actually. Good piercings only recommend salt water soaks, because that's what is best.


my guy recommended some anti-septic stuff (I forget what it's called around here somewhere), he's a good piercer bloke - 6 piercings and no problems (except when some idiot hit me).