Infected Tongue Piercing

Tongue piercing is one of the practices that have persisted for some time now. Some people believe that it is an expression of individuality; some have it because they think it’s cool and fashionable; while others do tongue piercing because of peer pressure. Whatever their reasons may be, they should make sure that they can take good care of their tongue piercings.

Tongue piercing is when the tongue is pierced with an accessory that has a ball from side to side to prevent it from falling. This needs sterile materials as well as proper cleaning of the area to avoid infection. Once a person has an infected tongue piercing, medical attention is definitely required to prevent complications.

Infected Tongue Piercing Causes

A tongue piercing could get infected for a variety of reasons. Especially so since the pierced area, the tongue, is constantly exposed to external elements most of which are not clean.

Many people with infected tongue piercing do not know that tongue piercing should be conducted in a sterile environment.  Many of them just get tongue piercings without recognizing the importance of the cleanliness of the process. A person can be a victim of an infected tongue piercing if the piercer does not observe proper hygienic practices during the procedure. Proper sterilization of all the tools used for piercing should be done. The piercer should also make himself or herself sterile by wearing the appropriate protective gears. If the procedure does not observe sterility, bacteria could get into the pierced area and release harmful toxins that cause infection.

Another common reason for an infected tongue piercing is the lack of knowledge on how to properly take care of the piercing. Since the tongue comes in contact with food daily, it is possible that there are bacteria around. The bacteria love to stay in dirty and moist places where they can multiply and do harm. Once the tongue piercing is not kept clean properly, there is a big chance for it to become infected. Therefore proper after care is crucial to prevent the occurrence of an infected tongue piercing. The person should brush his or her teeth every after meal and may even rinse the mouth with mouth wash. For the person who plans to have his or her tongue piercing for life, it would be wise to have himself or herself checked by a physician. Consultation with the doctor can help in monitoring cases of infected tongue piercing.

Signs and Symptoms of an infected tongue piercing

The development of an infected tongue piercing can be observed and felt with the following signs and symptoms:

• Pain is felt on the area of the piercing. The pain felt ranges from mild to severe depending on the severity of the infected tongue piercing.
• Swelling of the pierced region can be seen because of the inflammatory response of the body against the bacteria.
• There are discharges from the area ranging from yellowish to greenish.
• Bleeding can also be noticed on the site of infected tongue piercing.

Prevent infected tongue piercing

Before deciding on having your tongue pierced, plan for it properly. Make a well researched plan before you get your tongue piercing. For example, visit your prospective tongue piercing place and inquire about how they do the procedure. Make sure that the place and piercer observes proper sterility process and infection control.

When the tongue piercing procedure is finished, clean your mouth properly by brushing your teeth and using mouthwash in gargling. The person with a tongue piercing should practice good oral hygiene. Avoid touching the pierced area because the hands may carry bacteria that could bring about an infected piercing. A person with tongue piercing should have his or her regular visit to the dentist for check-up and monitoring of the teeth and the tongue. When eating and going to sleep, make sure that the accessory is removed to prevent harmful effects. If the person with tongue piercing plans to remove the accessory then he or she should first wash his or her hands properly.

Infected Tongue Piercing Treatment

If there is an infected tongue piercing, the first thing to do is to remove the accessory. Seek medical attention right away so that the physician can prescribe antibiotics. Rinsing the mouth with salt water can also be an intervention to treat the infection.

An infected tongue piercing can cause different problems to other parts of the body as well, so proper management should be observed. Take time to check the pierced tongue because you may not know that there is an infection developing. Dealing with the infected tongue piercing on its early stages makes the treatment simpler and quicker.