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Why do my ears always get infected when I wear earrings?
Causes of Pierced Ear Infections Using earrings with dirty posts can cause infection. Touching the earlobes with dirty hands may also cause infection. Another common cause is earrings that are too tight. The post may be too short or the clasp put on too tight.
Why does my earlobe piercing keep getting infected?
Causes of Infections Most commonly, an infected ear piercing is caused by bacteria entering the wound, which can happen in several ways. Handling with unclean hands. If you clean your ears without washing your hands first, you run the risk of exposing your piercings to bacteria. Not cleaning the piercing enough.
How do you get rid of a piercing infection?
Treating the infection at home
- Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
- Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day.
- Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments.
- Don’t remove the piercing.
- Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.
Can you flush out an ear infection?
Irrigate your ear canal liberally with hydrogen peroxide. Pull your ear back, tip your head over, or place a towel on your shoulder, and liberally flush out the ear canal. Irrigate with a bulb, syringe, or medicine bottle that allows you to “squirt” the fluid into the ear canal.
How do you get rid of an infected ear piercing?
Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage. Rinsing the infected earlobe with sterile saline. Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area. Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections. How can I prevent a pierced ear infection?
Is it safe to get your ears pierced?
Getting your ears pierced is usually a simple, safe procedure. But a new piercing is an open wound that requires care and good hygiene. If you get a mild infection, you may be able to treat it with over-the-counter products. For more serious infections you may need help from a healthcare provider.
What happens if you leave an infected piercing untreated?
Leaving an infected piercing untreated can result in a more severe infection or an abscess (a swollen area filled with pus). Upper ear piercings are more likely to get infected. Left untreated, these infections can spread into your body (called a systemic infection).
What does an infected ear piercing look like?
What is an infected ear piercing? An ear piercing is a hole through your earlobe or the cartilage in your middle or upper ear. An infected ear piercing may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes the piercing oozes blood or white, yellow or greenish pus. A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal.