Is it normal for pierced ears to be sore

The first is recognizing the symptoms of infection. The second is differentiating between infection and the expected effects of a new piercing.

An infected piercing is usually accompanied by one or more symptoms. These are a few of the most common infection symptoms:. Redness around the piercing is one of the early signs of an infection. A bit of pink or redness is not immediate cause for concern. A good tip for monitoring is to take a picture with your phone. Compare this picture over the next days to see if there are any significant changes.

For a new piercing, a bit of redness is expected within the first couple days. After this time the redness should start to fade or disappear completely. The timeline can vary a little from one person to the next. Your body recognizes the piercing as an injury, so it reacts the same way. As a result, some swelling is normal for piercings. But you should still monitor any swelling. If swelling occurs again after the initial swelling goes away it is a likely sign of infection.

Swelling accompanied by other symptoms, like redness or tenderness is a likely sign of infection. When you get a new piercing, you can expect a bit of swelling. Generally, this only lasts for about 2 days. Within this timeframe even having some redness or tenderness does not necessarily mean infection. If your ear piercing is tender or painful to the touch it may be a sign of infection.

The level of pain can range from mild to acute. This can vary by individual person, piercing location, or by infection. Generally, persistent pain is a more accurate indicator of infection than the level of pain. That being said, severe pain should be addressed immediately. In some cases, the area around the piercing may feel hot to the touch. A warm or hot piercing is a probable symptom of infection. Much like redness and swelling, pain — especially tenderness — is most common within the first 2 days of a new ear piercing.

However, it is not unusual for piercings to be painful or tender to the touch within the first 2 weeks. During these first couple weeks, the piercing is more sensitive and prone to soreness if it is slept on or touched frequently. Severe pain should be addressed immediately. A healthy ear piercing should not have any tearing or lacerations around the piercing hole.

They are usually a result of, or accompanied by, other infection symptoms. There is a high likelihood of infection with tears or lacerations around the piercing hole. However, there are a couple other potential causes. The first is the jewellery being pulled or catching on things. A ring or dangling piercing is a likely candidate for this.

The second is from the piercing process itself. Inexperienced piercers will often use piercing guns. These are imprecise tools that can pull or cause damage around the piercing. For this reason, the best piercing artists use needles instead of a piercing gun. Keep an eye out for pus coming out of your ear piercing.

Pus is identifiable by its thick discharge. Call Doctor or Seek Care Now Part of earring clasp is stuck inside the earlobe Ear pain and all of lower ear is red or swollen Ear pain and all of upper ear is red or swollen Ear pain and fever You feel weak or very sick You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent. Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours Minor tear in earlobe and last tetanus shot was more than 10 years ago You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent Contact Doctor During Office Hours Symptoms of minor pierced ear infection localized redness or slight discharge are not better after using Care Advice for 3 days Swollen lymph node in front of or behind earlobe Large thick scar has developed at the earring site during the last couple months You have other questions or concerns.

Any bacteria left to fester can quickly turn into an infection. If you touch your piercing with dirty hands or instruments, you can introduce an infection. If the earrings are on too tightly, not allowing room for the wound to breathe and heal, an infection can develop. As long as your infection is minor, you may be able to take care of it at home. These types of infections are harder to treat and may require oral antibiotics.

Significant infections of the cartilage can require hospitalization. After the infection appears to have cleared, continue this cleaning regimen twice a day until the piercing is totally healed.

Remember, an earlobe piercing can take six to eight weeks to heal. Routine care is important during that time. Usually, a minor infection of an ear piercing can be treated successfully at home.

But if any of the following symptoms occur, seek medical attention:. To avoid infection, have your ears pierced by a professional. Be sure to ask about their infection prevention protocol.

Also ask if their tools are sterile. Confirm that the earrings they use come out of a new, sterile package. After you get the piercing, clean your ears twice a day with the rinse provided or sterile saline. It's a simple enough question, but the answer isn't quite as straight forward.

There are so many different types of piercings from the classic ear lobe, to the belly-button, to the tongue; not to mention all the other "naughty" ones like playful nipple piercings. As different body parts contain an array of flesh thicknesses, it's easy to see how one freshly pierced anatomical area might feel more sore than another.

However, when you take into account the fact that humans have differing pain thresholds, it all gets a tad confusing — how can one person's pain be directly compared to another? Some hardcore folks suffer migraines continuously, some women have given birth, and others have never broken a bone in their body.