An ear piercing is a hole through your earlobe or the cartilage in your middle or upper ear. Ear piercing infections may be red, swollen, sore, warm, itchy or tender. Sometimes, piercings ooze blood or white, yellow or green pus.
A new piercing is an open wound that can take several weeks to fully heal. During that time, any bacteria that enter the wound can lead to infection.
Some pain and redness are part of the normal healing process for pierced ears. It can be easy to confuse those with signs of infection.
If there’s a bump on the back of the ear piercing, it’s not necessarily infected. Small bumps called granulomas can sometimes form around the piercing. These bumps are trapped fluid that you can treat by compressing them with warm water.
You know your ear piercing is infected if you have symptoms such as:
Discharge coming out of your piercing.
Fever.
Redness, warmth or swelling around your piercing.
Tenderness in your pierced earlobe or cartilage.
How do you treat an infected ear piercing?
A healthcare provider can tell you what to do for an infected ear piercing. They may recommend a variety of treatments to help heal an infected ear piercing. Ear piercing infection treatment may include:
Applying a warm compress to the infected earlobe or cartilage.
Cleaning the infected ear piercing with sterile saline.
Using antibiotic ointment on the affected area.
Taking oral antibiotics for more severe infections
How is an ear infection from a piercing diagnosed?
If you see signs of an infected cartilage piercing, you should contact a healthcare provider. The provider can assess the severity of the infection.
If you suspect an infection in an earlobe piercing, take special care with hygiene. If the infection worsens, contact a provider.
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