How do you know if you have an earring infection?

Symptoms of an infected ear piercing typically include:

1. Redness or swelling at the piercing site or redness that continues to expand past the piercing.
2. Crusty discharge.
3. Heat felt in the area around the piercing.
4. Thick pus that can be yellow or green.
5. Pain or itching.
6. Fever or feeling unwell.

What ointment is good for infected ear piercing?

Antibiotic Ointment: After cleaning, apply an antibiotic ointment to the earring post and the earlobe holes. Examples are Polysporin or Bacitracin. No prescription is needed. You can also use one you already have.

What do you do if your piercing gets infected?

Treating the infection at home

1. Wash your hands before touching or cleaning your piercing.
2. Clean around the piercing with a saltwater rinse three times a day.
3. Don’t use alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or antibiotic ointments.
4. Don’t remove the piercing.
5. Clean the piercing on both sides of your earlobe.

Can I put antibiotic ointment on my ear piercing?

What does an ear piercing infection look like?

What does a severe ear piercing infection look like? A more major infection would have “severe” redness, pain, and tenderness, discharge, and major swelling, Dr. Kaplan says. “Even worse infections might have pus draining from the site, abscess formation, or the appearance of reddish soft tissue at the piercing site,” he says.

What happens if you get an earring infection?

The earring doesn’t move. The earring clasp becomes embedded in your skin. The infection doesn’t improve with home treatment within two days. You develop a fever. The infection, or redness and inflammation, spreads beyond the piercing site. To avoid infection, have your ears pierced by a professional.

Can a ear infection look like an allergy?

Of course, you can also have an allergy to the hardware in your ear and that can look like an infection. But, unfortunately, it can be tough for non-doctors to figure out the difference, Dr. Mankarious says.

How long does it take for an infected ear piercing to heal?

Treating the infection at home. 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.

What does a severe ear piercing infection look like? A more major infection would have “severe” redness, pain, and tenderness, discharge, and major swelling, Dr. Kaplan says. “Even worse infections might have pus draining from the site, abscess formation, or the appearance of reddish soft tissue at the piercing site,” he says.

How to tell if an adult has an ear infection?

Adult with severe right ear pain and pressure with hearing loss. The ear drum thickened, inflamed, bulging and will probably rupture and drain. The patient has a fever and looks very ill. Eight year old boy with fever, severe ear pain and the outer ear being pushing forward by swelling behind the ear.

What does an eardrum look like with an ear infection?

A healthy eardrum (shown here) looks sort of clear and pinkish-gray. An infected one looks red and swollen. The Eustachian tube is a canal that connects your middle ear to your throat. It keeps fluid and air pressure from building up inside your ear.

How long does an ear infection last in the middle ear?

Overview. An ear infection occurs when a bacterial or viral infection affects the middle ear — the sections of your ear just behind the eardrum. Ear infections can be painful because of inflammation and fluid buildup in the middle ear. Ear infections can be chronic or acute. Acute ear infections are painful but short in duration.