Ear infection due to piercing

MSc.BSc.CKI Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Ear, Nose and Throat Unit, Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, treats patients with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and instructs on wound care at home. After two weeks of follow-up, the patient had no symptoms.

Infection after piercing is quite common, because many people like to have multiple piercings in their earlobes and ear lobes. In the past, the piercing location was usually the earlobe – this location had no cartilage and rarely had complications. Nowadays, some young people tend to get piercings in many locations on their ears, including the ear cartilage.

The earlobe has soft tissue and fat and strong blood circulation, so piercings in this location heal quickly and are less susceptible to infection. While in the ear area, the ear cartilage has thick, hard tissue and less blood circulation. Piercings in these locations take longer to heal.

There are many causes of infection such as the piercing site not being properly sterilized, the piercing or piercing tools not being sterilized, and not ensuring hygiene when performing the procedure. Symptoms include fever, pus discharge, redness, swelling, itching, and burning. If the disease is not treated promptly, it can cause abscesses and widespread infections leading to cellulitis, chronic otitis externa, and hearing loss…

Dr. Nguyen recommends choosing an ear piercing facility that is experienced, reputable, and hygienic. You should wash your hands thoroughly with soap or hand sanitizer before touching the piercing area. Use a cotton swab moistened with saline to clean the ear piercing area twice a day until the wound heals. Do not arbitrarily apply any medication to the piercing without consulting your doctor.

People with ulcers, continuous bleeding after two days, redness and swelling in the piercing area, high fever, yellow pus flowing continuously… need to see an ENT specialist for examination and treatment.