When To Go To The Doctor For Ear Piercing Infection [And What To Expect]

When you decide to get your ears pierced for fashion or whatsoever, you are leaving an open wound on it. The healing process of any ear piercing may take six up until eight weeks since the piercing itself is done in the hardest part of the ear, making it more prone to infection. Touching it with bare hands or any unclean instrument can lead it into an infection. If you place your earrings too tight, there will be no room for the wound itself to breathe and heal.

When To Go To A Doctor For Ear Piercing Infection?

Any minor infection on any ear piercing can be successfully cured at home for some fundamental ways. Cleaning the ear piercing using saltwater thrice on a day surely helps a lot. But if the infection starts to develop on the cartilage, this becomes harder to cure, and you may be required to take oral antibiotics. Getting an opinion from an ENT doctor and hospitalization may be necessary as soon significant cartilage infections are observed.

Symptoms

Having moderate to high fever
Home treatment does not work for the last 24 to 48 hours
Inflammation and redness beyond the piercing spot
The earring gets embedded on your skin and doesn’t move along

What To Expect When You Go To A Doctor For Ear Piercing Infection?

When you go to see the doctor for an infection, there are some conventional treatments he or she will recommend for starting the healing process. Things like using a washcloth dampened with warm or cold water and holding it to your pain-filled ear can ease your distress. You may be advised to use ear drops with a numbing agent. The doctor will also recommend an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug, like acetaminophen, or another nonsteroidal medication.

If your ear piercing goes down with a bacterial or viral illness, this puts you at higher risk for contracting an ear infection. Bacteria, like Streptococcus pneumonia as well as Haemophilus influenza, are common culprits. Viruses, such as the common cold and other strains, respiratory infections, the flu, and enteroviruses, may also cause an infection. After consulting with your doctor, he will probably recommend you to buy some antibiotics for ear piercing infection.

Ear Piercing Infection Effects

If the infection is in the acute early stages, catching it right away can help stop the situation from becoming chronic. Seek medical advice if you were recently diagnosed with an acute ear infection, but the treatment advised by your doctor has been ineffective, or your symptoms are increasing. If you are exhibiting signs of a recurring infection, you need to get in to see the doctor at once.

These regimen of antibiotics shall soon eradicate the infection. Antibiotic ear drops may also help to reduce any pain you experience. For severe, chronic diseases, the doctor may advise surgery if you do not experience any improvement after receiving treatment or your hearing is being affected. For children who have their ears pierces on their younger years, particularly hearing problems can cause speech and language impediments during a formative period, so the issue must be dealt with summarily.

Ciprofloxacin is one of the best-known choices for ear-piercing related to an ear infection. It has been proven to be active in fighting S aureus which manifests within two up to four weeks after getting your ears pierced. The presence of abscess is monitored as the cartilage deforms. One procedure, known as a bilateral tympanostomy, involves putting a small tube in the eardrum to link the middle and outer ear, improving drainage. If the bones in your middle ear were to become infected, your doctor would recommend surgery to fix or replace it. Rarely, an infection can reach the mastoid bone behind the ear, in which case surgery to remove the virus would be needed.

Conclusion

If you or your child are exhibiting signs of an ear infection that do not decrease with regular maintenance in a few days, book an appointment to see your family physician. If left untreated, an ear infection can turn into a chronic condition, resulting in consequences like the loss of hearing, disease of and damage to ear bones, impaired drainage, and other inflammatory conditions it is best to seek medical advice to see what treatments are required and set you and/or your child on the road to recovery.

Dr. Ahmed Zayed

Doctor, author and fitness enthusiast, Ahmed Zayed, MD, is a surgery resident with a passion for helping people live a happy healthy life. He is the author of numerous health-related books and contributor to several medicine, health and wellbeing.