Need health advice for infection

[BusterStacks]

ok so, one of my ear piercings that i got like 8 years ago got infected. I don't wear earrings hardly ever, and this is basically random. It is swollen and hurts like a motherfucker. I'd like to avoid going to a doctor, but I don't think I can. Has anyone experienced this? Owwwwwwwwwwwww

[kipin]

Amputation.

[BusterStacks]

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Amputation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lol... I'm considering it.

[thatpfunk]

Soak your ear in warm water and rock salt for 60 sec at a time. It will draw the puss and gross [censored] out and your ear should feel a little better.

It will take a little while to heal, however.

[BusterStacks]

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Soak your ear in warm water and rock salt for 60 sec at a time. It will draw the puss and gross [censored] out and your ear should feel a little better.

It will take a little while to heal, however.

[/ QUOTE ]

do i dissolve the rocksalt or just put it in? How warm of water, like uncomfortably warm? Can I use table salt?

[thatpfunk]

The rock salt will dissolve on its own.

Comfortable hot water.

I have no idea if table salt works, but I would bet it is better than nothing(and i would do it because it should take away the irritation). Call a piercing place tomorrow, they could give you the best advice.

(this is what they told me after mine were pierced with a thumbtack)

[Tron]

Warm as you can tolerate. Table salt is probably okay.

[wacki]

rock salt = table salt.

get polysporin (>neosporin), peroxide, and iodine. Tincture merthiolate is good too. Keep clean and wash OFTEN!!!!!

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/50/44.cfm

[Argus]

[ QUOTE ]
rock salt = table salt.

get polysporin (>neosporin), peroxide, and iodine. Tincture merthiolate is good too. Keep clean and wash OFTEN!!!!!

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/50/44.cfm

[/ QUOTE ]
Please don't put peroxide on your ears - it's terrible for you and will harm at least as much as it helps. Polysporin is probably neutral EV, and Iodine a decent idea but not necessary. Warm saline solution should be sufficient.

[wacki]

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Please don't put peroxide on your ears - it's terrible for you and will harm at least as much as it helps.

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???

''At the first sign of infection, go back to applying hydrogen peroxide followed by antibiotic ointment twice daily,'' says Dr. Adler.

from link

[BusterStacks]

why is it terrible for you? I've been applying it all day.

[mmbt0ne]

Are you serious? I used peroxide like it was my job back when my ears got infected. Don't worry Buster, I'm sure your's can't be much worse than mine was, and it was better in maybe 2 days.

The only times I've ever had infections was when I had in stainless steel earrings. Ever since then I can only wear silver, otherwise I seem to get infected a lot easier. Just something you might want to consider.

[theredpill5]

Just put neosporin on a band-aid and put the band-aid over the infection. It'll be gone in like a few days. Neosporin is a miracle medicine.

[BusterStacks]

i RARELY wear earrings, and never for more than 12 hours at a time. < once a month.

[thatpfunk]

Every piercing shop says DO NOT use peroxide...

Something about it drying out your ears, etc etc. I think it messes with the actual healing of the piercing.

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
Every piercing shop says DO NOT use peroxide...

Something about it drying out your ears, etc etc. I think it messes with the actual healing of the piercing.

[/ QUOTE ]

the piercing is fully healed, as it was done years ago. I may end up walking to the store tonight to get some neosporin. This hurts!

[wacki]

http://www.infinitebody.com/aftercare/acbasic.html

Peroxide does kill many bacteria, but it also destroys the healthy skin around the piercing. Used long enough, it can eat away at the skin and actually keep your piercing from healing. Stay away from it!

http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/bodyart/piercing-faq/healing-process-problems.html

Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes helpful in draining pus and debriding an infected piercing. Hydrogen peroxide should not be used for daily piercing aftercare.


Looks like it's good for infections but bad for daily aftercare. Also, looks like neosporin is a bad choice buster.

Read those links.

[Ray Zee]

stay on top of infections as you may and probably need antibiotics. see the doctor especially if it hurts that much and or is very red.

[wacki]

P.S. Dr. Adler. sucks a big fat dick.

[BusterStacks]

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stay on top of infections as you may and probably need antibiotics. see the doctor especially if it hurts that much and or is very red.

[/ QUOTE ]

It doesn't hurt THAT much, but it is way tender to the touch. Also it is very red and swollen.

/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I'm too young to die!!!

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.infinitebody.com/aftercare/acbasic.html

Peroxide does kill many bacteria, but it also destroys the healthy skin around the piercing. Used long enough, it can eat away at the skin and actually keep your piercing from healing. Stay away from it!

http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/bodyart/piercing-faq/healing-process-problems.html

Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes helpful in draining pus and debriding an infected piercing. Hydrogen peroxide should not be used for daily piercing aftercare.


Looks like it's good for infections but bad for daily aftercare. Also, looks like neosporin is a bad choice buster.

Read those links.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're a science guy. I would figure you could think of a few reasons you wouldn't want to do a lot of oxidative damage to your tissue, especially when there were alternatives.

scrub

[BusterStacks]

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You're a science guy. I would figure you could think of a few reasons you wouldn't want to do a lot of oxidative damage to your tissue, especially when there were alternatives.

scrub

[/ QUOTE ]

I must have missed the part where alternatives other than salt water were agreed upon.

[wacki]

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I would figure you could think of a few reasons you wouldn't want to do a lot of oxidative damage to your tissue, especially when there were alternatives.

[/ QUOTE ]

Reasons are easy to figure out without doing experiments, reaction rates aren't.

P.S. I'm not sure as to what you are getting at since every source I've looked at says peroxide is GOOD for infections only but bad for daily after care.

[DBowling]

[ QUOTE ]

P.S. I'm not sure as to what you are getting at since every source I've looked at says peroxide is GOOD for infections only but bad for daily after care.

[/ QUOTE ]

my tonsils are very inflamed and perhaps covered in mucous. do you think i should gargle peroxide? or should i stick with salt water?

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

You're a science guy. I would figure you could think of a few reasons you wouldn't want to do a lot of oxidative damage to your tissue, especially when there were alternatives.

scrub

[/ QUOTE ]

I must have missed the part where alternatives other than salt water were agreed upon.

[/ QUOTE ]

(1) Going to the doctor instead of relying on the google powers of people who didn't go to med school.

(2) Over the counter topical antibiotics.

I've gotten conflicting advice about peroxide, but a few people I consider credible have said that it's much harsher on injured tissue than just keeping the area clean and using polysporin or whatever.

Why not just go see a doctor? It would suck if it ended up getting more serious and you had to anyway.

scrub

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Amputation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lol... I'm considering it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Depending on how deep it is, lance it with something sterile, squeeze out the infection, then wash it thoroughly. You could put a bandaid on it afterwards or something, if you're a sissy, but I wouldn't.

This hurts like a MF, but feels surprisingly good afterwards. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

In the mean time, just make sure to keep personal hygeine super-thorough: shower twice a day rather than once, wash it a few times a day, etc. etc.

Oh yeah, I forgot it's in your ear. No big deal about the lancing then.

What works well is a safety pin. Just boil it first for like 2 minutes.

If your whole ear's turned red or green or something like that, you should definitely see a doctor, but if it just hurts and it's a little red, nail the little bastard. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Dave.

Caveat, I'm not a doctor. But this was worked well in the past for me.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
Soak your ear in warm water and rock salt for 60 sec at a time. It will draw the puss and gross [censored] out and your ear should feel a little better.

It will take a little while to heal, however.

[/ QUOTE ]

Far less painful than lancing, seems to work if I stub my toe and it gets infected...

Not sure how it works, though. You'll eventually have to scrape away at the thin skin between the infection and... uh, the atmosphere? You know what I mean. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[BusterStacks]

well I dunno, I stuck needlepoint needle (thicker than sewing) through the piercing hole today, nothing came out. I would have to lance some part that's not readily obvious, which I am skeptical about. If I could do this though, I would.

I'm going to try the salt thing tomorrow, are there any indications that it's working? I'm a guy who likes immediate results.

[thatpfunk]

Yes, lots of puss will come out and it will feel much better.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
You're a science guy. I would figure you could think of a few reasons you wouldn't want to do a lot of oxidative damage to your tissue, especially when there were alternatives.

[/ QUOTE ]


[ QUOTE ]

(1) Going to the doctor instead of relying on the google powers of people who didn't go to med school.

(2) Over the counter topical antibiotics.

I've gotten conflicting advice about peroxide, but a few people I consider credible have said that it's much harsher on injured tissue than just keeping the area clean and using polysporin or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you even read my posts? I already mentioned peroxides harshness. Why would you act like I hadn't figured it out?

Also, I found a source of some person who claims to be a Dr. and says peroxide is OK while non Dr. sources say peroxide is not ok. Alright, I admit the credentials in the first link could of been faked but I've found many webpages from student health centers that claim the same. Not all doctors are equal.

Anyway, I've already wasted too much time on this crap. I understand your point about google, but that doesn't mean it's worthless. If webmd.com had an article about this stuff I would be very inclined to trust it. Do you not agree?

And yes, Buster should go to the doctor but sometimes $$$ and insurance are prohibitive factors for people. And I do know that not going to the doctor can be -EV in the long run.

[DavidC]

[ QUOTE ]
well I dunno, I stuck needlepoint needle (thicker than sewing) through the piercing hole today, nothing came out. I would have to lance some part that's not readily obvious, which I am skeptical about. If I could do this though, I would.

I'm going to try the salt thing tomorrow, are there any indications that it's working? I'm a guy who likes immediate results.

[/ QUOTE ]

When green stuff that smells bad comes out. Can you see any spots near the infection that are whiter than the rest of the skin (i.e. that would be the spot where the infection puss is, and that would be the spot to lance if you're going to do that).

[-Skeme-]

Pus is [censored] disgusting. I remember I had the largest zit on my nose for about 3 weeks. It wasn't popping easy and my mom told me not to squeeze too hard or it might scar. Finally I said [censored] it and squeezed as hard as I could. A small scar is better than this giant thing. Anyway, blood and puss shot all over the mirror. It wasn't pretty. My nose blead for about 30 mins after.

In conclusion, this story has absolutely nothing to do with OPs problem, but good luck with all of that.

[Roan]

You obviously have an infection. You could soak/lance/peroxide/neosporin it as much as you want or can stand. Any one or some combination of those MIGHT work, they also might make it worse. Or you could go to the doctor, get some AB, and have it cleared up in a few days.

[jakethebake]

Any male that gets an earring deserves to have his ear fall off.

[pokerjo22]

[ QUOTE ]
Any male that gets an earring deserves to have his ear fall off.

[/ QUOTE ]

*cough* note his avatar.

[Boris]

just cut it open and squeeze out the puss. You are a total sissy if you go to the doctor.

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
just cut it open and squeeze out the puss. You are a total sissy if you go to the doctor.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't go to the doctor, however this was the most disgusting thing in recent memory.