Infected Tongue Piercing, Signs, Symptoms, Treatment, Web, Underneath, Pictures

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How to know when your tongue piercing is infected? Get insights on infected tongue piercing, the symptoms, treatment, the tongue web, the underneath and what to do in case of an infection as well as the images.

Infected Tongue Piercing Causes

Tongue rings are a modern and fashionable body piercing loved by many, yet an infection can lead to a serious medical problems ranging from disfigurement, obstructed airway including blood poisoning.

Study the signs of an infected tongue piercing to avoid further medical problems. Only receive a piercing provided by a licensed body art specialist who utilizes sterile equipment. To prevent any infection, always clean the tongue piercing daily by rinsing the mouth using an antiseptic rinse like Listerine and dilute it with 50 percent water.

Do not remove the attached tongue piercing if an infection is suspected as pus can form. Instead, visit to ensure a medical professional for an examination and treatment.

Piercing of the tongue is a very traumatic process that can lead to a serious and may be a life-threatening infections.

For the initial few days, the normal pain as well as swelling is very difficult to differentiate from any symptoms of infection. If you have difficulty in breathing, however, or any other symptoms that can match those of an infected tongue piercing, seek a medical attention quickly.

There is a very large amount of bacteria and also other microorganisms that are found in the mouth, and according to a report that was published in The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, when the tongue is poorly pierced, microorganisms can also enter the wound and lead to an infection at the piercing site.

From the piercing area, the infection can then get an entry into the bloodstream, lead to heat and redness that are beyond the wound, swelling of lymph nodes, fever as well as other serious conditional side effects.

The study also states that lightly brushing of the pierced area using a new, soft-bristled kind of toothbrush, assists prevention of the bacteria from entering into the wound.

Who can’t get their tongue pierced?

1. People that have a very short tongue. They may include even you if you are unable to stick out the tongue or stick it out at a longer distance.
2. People that have a lot of webbing that stretches far up the tongue. This webbing should never be cut, as this can lead to extreme swelling, suffocation as well as bleeding. It is not legal for anyone but only a medical surgeon in a licensed hospital to cut a tongue to increase the tongues length.
3. People that have a vein in a wrong place. Some of the people may have a vein directly down the middle of their tongue. Even so, you might be able to obtain a piercing if the piercer can insert it at a slight slant or even offset it so it doesn’t touch the artery. You may not be able to get a piercing on either side if your veins are running down the sides of the tongue. Your piercer can as well assess whether this may be an issue.
4. People who have certain critical health conditions. If you suffer from any form of paralysis including nerve issues, or indeed any other serious health conditions then you should alert the piercer.
5. People that are below the age limit that is set by the piercer, usually between the age of 14-16 years for a piercing with parental consent or 18 without. You are required to ask the studio before you go. This may vary according to prevailing local laws.

Infected Tongue Piercing Symptoms

The tongue is supposed to be fully healed within a period of 6-8 weeks after the piercing of the toungue has been done. In several cases, it is very normal to experience a swelling and irritation during the first 2 weeks, but if the signs do not disappear and other signs show up, it will be important to immediately consult the doctor and receive enough medical treatments and antibiotics.

Infected tongue piercing is usually caused by various types of bacteria that stay in the human mouth, which is said to have the capacity to fast multiply and then spread, giving rise to infections. If left unattended, the infections can lead to very serious health problems.

Tongue Piercing White Discharge

Discharge can at times seep from an infected tongue piercing area. White discharge is a very common bodily reaction when getting the tongue pierced, and a small amount can be present. However, the discharge may show that an infection is available or is beginning to form.

Continue to observe for additional signs and or symptoms of an infection. An infection is most likely accompanied with yellow drainage. Green drainage is also an indication of a serious condition and need immediate medical attention, according to medical studies.

Any other extreme discoloration that happens to the tongue (green, yellow, purple or black) should be taken very seriously, as it shows the advanced level of an infection. In this particular case it is important to seek an immediate medical attention.

Discoloration from an infected tongue piercing can also be accompanied by a yellow or green discharge, which is usually the pus that comes out of the infected area of the tongue. This also needs prompt and adequate antibiotic treatment.

Prolonged Bleeding

Bleeding for any period of length of time is also a serious condition. The tongue also has large amounts of blood vessels as well as arteries, but the bleeding should never be constant. A very minute amount of bleeding can occur after even the initial piercing, yet continuous bleeding is also a sign that something is wrong. Ensure to seek medical attention immediately you experience.

Although at times, some bleeding can normally happen immediately after the piercing has been completed, bleeding can also occur after the initial healing process has ended is instead another sign that shows an ongoing infection.

Tenderness

The infected tongue piercing area that has been may feel tender or painful at times to touch. You may also feel a throbbing sensation that is radiating in the tongue and the tongue may also increase in its size. Observe any swelling closely; if the swelling increases, the tongue and the throat can block the airway. Only apply a tongue ring that is made of gold, titanium or a surgical steel, according to researchers like Dr. Ken Walker as indicated in The Canada Free Press.

Fever

A fever brought about by an infected tongue piercing may show that there is presence of an infection; the temperature of a fever does not show the seriousness of the condition. For instance, a severe infection can have a low grade fever, and a small infection may have lead to a high fever—according to studies by The Mayo Clinic. Observe all body temperature changes that is above 98.6 degrees closely.

Swelling

As we have just indicated above, it is very normal to have a swelling that appears around the tongue area, usually immediately after you get the tongue pierced. However, if the swelling increases and becomes worse, or is followed by difficulty in swallowing as well as speaking, it is one of the initial signs that you have got an infection. This calls for an immediate medical attention as well as treatment.

Redness

Slight redness that appears around a tongue area may as well be normal during the initial healing period, but if it persists and is followed by swelling and pain, it is a sign of inflammation and tongue infection.

Red streaks

If you at times notice red streaks that are radiating out of the infected tongue piercing out of the hole and running down the sides and the front the tongue, then this is an indication of the presence of an advanced infection happening that will requires an immediate antibiotic treatment.

Red strikes together with painful tenderness of the tongue and are at times accompanied by fever.

Infected Tongue Web Piercing

While web piercing of the tongue or cheek may be very attractive to some people, there are several health-related risks related to oral piercing, including:

• Infections. The wound that created by piercing, the large amount of bacteria in the mouth as well as the introduction of more bacteria from handling of the jewelry all work to promote the risk of infections.
• Transmission of diseases. Oral tongue web piercing is a potential factor for the transmission of herpes simplex virus and hepatitis B and even C.
• Nerve damage. Loss of sensation at the area of the piercing or movement problems (for the pierced tongues) can happen if nerves have been badly damaged. If blood vessels are punctured, then prolonged bleeding can happen. Tongue swelling following piercing can be very severe to block the airway and thus make breathing difficult.

Infected Tongue Piercing Treatment, What To Do

It is possible to stop tongue piercing infections and also to treat them at any place including home in case the symptoms and signs have been noticed in the required time.

1. To avoid any kind of infection, it is important to find a renowned and a professional piercer, and inform yourself better about the procedure of piercing.

The piercer you should choose must have a license to practice, as well as have adequate training and even experience. He should also be able to exercise all the required sanitary precautions at the period of the entire process of piercing like using sterilized needles, instruments and tools including wearing sterile gloves and face masks.

2. After the piercing is performed, it is required that you carefully follow the aftercare instructions as has been advised by the piercer.
3. When getting the tongue pierced, you should always ensure to opt for plastic (polytetrafluoroethylene or polypropylene) studs, since they gather small bacteria than the common stainless steel or even titanium studs.
4. During the healing process you should ensure to avoid coffee, the alcohol as well as cigarettes, and also eat foods that are not very spicy or irritating like mashed potatoes, bananas, the cold soups, and other similar foods.
5. Another perfect way to ensure prevention of the infections is to rinse the mouth after every meal. Salt and water is also effective rinse to be applied during the healing process and treat infections in the initial stages.
6. If you at any point, you develop any infection or even suspect that you might have one, don’t ever take out the bar by yourself. You will only worsen the current situation.

Infected Tongue Piercing Underneath

• Endocarditis. Due to the wound brought about by the piercing, there’s a high chance that bacteria may enter the bloodstream and resulting to the development of endocarditis which is an inflammation of the heart especially in certain people with underlying and often undiagnosed and without symptoms of the heart problems.

How to Care For Infected Tongue Piercing

 Observing the symptoms of an infection.

• An infected tongue piercing indicates some seen symptoms that you can monitor. These may include serious swelling, the redness or even red streak around the pierced area, yellowish discharge, elevating pain, and at times, a severe fever or chilling sensation may be felt. Monitoring the signs and symptoms may enable a person to immediately be able to treat the infected place and stop the infection.
• Even if you observe the symptoms of an infected tongue piercing, avoid taking off any of the stud off by yourself as this can worsen the situation and lead to unnecessary drainage as well as bleeding.

Cleansing the infected piercing

• Once you notice any of the tongue piercing is very infected, you are required to clean the area first before application of any kind of medications as well as treatments. To cleanse any infected tongue piercing, you may rinse the piercing infection with water or even saline solution that is a natural anti-bacterial.
• To rinse your infected tongue piercing using water or even saline solution, you can also apply the use of a needleless syringe that is filled with the water or the solution and squirted on the affected wound. Using a syringe can enable you to effectively aim at the piercing to enable cleansing it thoroughly.
• If no needleless syringe is provided then you can use a non-alcoholic mouthwash to rinse the entire mouth, including the infected tongue piercing. Gargle the mouthwash by focusing it on the tongue for about 10 seconds or more before spitting it out of the mouth.
• After cleansing of the mouth and infectious tongue with any of the solutions available, always ensure to spit the solution out of the mouth. Do not swallow the solution as it may have various bacteria which can be very harmful if ingested.

 Reducing swelling

• Swelling of the tongue tends to happen when a pierced tongue is so much infected. Since piercing creates a hole on the tongue, where the stud is put, swelling may lead to uncomfortable tightness to all of the tongue.
• To reduce any pain that is resulted by the infected tongue piercing, it is relevant to reduce the swelling first. This will at long last lessen the pain experienced and thus restoring the healthy pierced tongue.
• To reduce the swelling, gently and carefully using a tongue suck a small ice chip. An ice chip is going to reduce the size of the blood vessels, reducing blood flow into the infected area. Repeat this process of the initial treatment at least twice or three times a day until the swelling disappears.

 Compressing the infection site

• Since it is not advised to take the infected tongue piercing stud off, you will be required to do helpful treatments using any method that can reach the tissues around the wound without taking off the stud.
• Warm salt water compress can be very helpful for this reason. It increases blood flow to the infected part, speeding up the healing process. To compress the infected site, you can soak a cotton ball into the warm salt water and apply it onto the infected tongue piercing. This will kill any existing bacteria, relieve the pain, and speed up the healing process.

Taking oral antibiotics

• If the infected tongue piercing do not in any way lead to pain and discomfort, but also including fever and chilling sensation, it is also advisable to do a combination of the topical medication or some home remedies using oral antibiotics that can be very helpful in elimination of bacteria and improve the condition of the infection.
• Medications that has ibuprofen is the most frequent medications to be prescribed by the doctor for tongue piercing. This is the painkiller, so ensure that you are not driving after consuming the medication.

When to Visit a Doctor

Although it is so painful, tongue piercing infection can be self-cared at home with proper and very suitable home solutions as well as medication. But, some kinds of bad infection may result to hepatitis, a disease that can deteriorate the whole of the health condition.

See your doctor if you observe the infection is becoming very serious and have these symptoms:

• Continuous bleeding of the infected tongue piercing and pus discharge.
• Elevating the pain and fever.
• Motion in eating, talking, and the chewing limitation.
• Severe swelling and redness that spreads onto the entire parts of the tongue.

Further references;

1. Oral Care: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/oral-piercing
2. Signs & Symptoms of an Infected Tongue Ring: http://www.livestrong.com/article/25982-signs-symptoms-infected-tongue/
3. The Signs of an Infected Tongue Piercing: http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/conditions/mouth-sores-and-infections/article/the-signs-of-an-infected-tongue-piercing-0415