Among the various areas of the body piercing, ear is the most common site. And according to the statistics available, 35 out of 100 people with pierced ear would develop infection or some complication. Many of them would have a minor infection and some would develop an allergic reaction after ear piercing. A very small percentage of people would develop keloid as part of ear piercing infection and in rare cases it can lead to tearing of ear lobes.
It has become common nowadays to have multiple ear piercings done to keep updated with the fashion. And many people prefer to have high piercing on their cartilages rather than on the ear which may lead to complications like perichondritis and abscess formation. Some of the symptoms of ear piercing infection are swelling of ear, warmth and reddened ear with pain and discomfort. In some cases it may lead to necrosis. Major cause of ear piercing infections is Staph bacteria or Pseudomonas bacteria. Several species of these bacteria can cause infection. Antibiotics are the first line treatment for ear piercing infection. In severe cases of pus formation, surgical drainage is done.
Symptoms :
The first symptom of ear piercing infection is the tenderness on the pierced ear. The concerned ear can develop inflammation within 24 hours of piercing. Redness of ear, pain, warmth and discomfort are some of the symptoms of ear piercing. If left untreated infection can take place causing bumps or blisters. In some cases it can cause fluid discharge from the pierced ear with foul smell indicating presence of bacteria. In people with weakened immunity it can cause tiredness and mild fever.