How to treat a piercing site infection - Mayo Clinic
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Products and services My new ear piercing isn t healing well It s red itchy and still swollen after a week Do I need to see a doctor
Answer From Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. This is probably a minor infection that you could try treating at home, unless the piercing is through cartilage. Cartilage is the hard tissue in the rim of your ear. Seek medical care for a cartilage piercing that is painful, itchy, red and swollen. For minor infections in soft tissue, take these steps: First wash your hands with soap and water. Then prepare a saltwater solution of 1 cup (0.24 liters) water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves. Leaving the piercing jewelry in place, soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it on the affected area. Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin. Do this three times a day until the infection improves. Also make sure your phones are clean and that you change your pillowcase with a clean one every two days. If the infection doesn't improve in three days, seek medical care. With Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
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Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry ShareTweet Jan. 29, 2021 Show references Thompson DA. Ear piercing. In: Adult Telephone Protocols: Office Version. 4th ed. Itasca, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2018. Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 18, 2019. See more Expert Answers See also
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