Abscesses Caused by Piercings

The other day, I had a pimple on the outside of my ear. This was a strange development for me. I don't usually get acne on my ears, and at 38 years of age, I'd prefer it if acne were a part of my distant past. I was curious to find out if other people ever got zits on their ears, so I searched the Internet. I didn't find too much information on what I should do about my pimple, but I did run across a video that was very alarming, disturbing, disgusting, and even somewhat fascinating.

This video was labeled "Girl Pops Giant Ear Zit". I don't know why I decided to watch it. I suppose curiosity got the better of me. If you choose to watch it, understand that it's very graphic and contains a lot of swearing. You might want to view it away from children or your boss. However, the one thing that came across loud and clear to me was that the young lady in the video did not have a zit on her ear. What she had was an abscess. And while I'm sure she felt much better after she spent eight minutes popping it, the way she went about relieving the abscess could have been very dangerous.

What is an abscess?

According to WebMD, an abscess is a "tender, easily pressed mass generally surrounded by a colored area from pink to deep red. The middle of an abscess if full of pus and debris." Abcesses can form on any part of your body, but they seem to pop up in areas where it's dark and moist. That means you're most likely to find them in your armpits, groin, mouth, anal and vaginal region, and at the base of your spine. They can also form around hair follicles. Hair follicles that abscess are usually called boils or furuncles. If a number of hair follicles become abscessed, they can form a large abscess called a carbuncle.

Abscesses are localized infections that tend to hurt like the dickens. They can be caused by blocked hair follicles that become obstructed by oil or sweat glands in the skin. They can also be caused by breaks in the skin due to wounds. An ear piercing is definitely a wound. If a fresh piercing is not properly cared for, germs can invade the wound and cause your body to respond with inflammation. Inflammation is actually a protective response; your body is trying to make the injured area less hospitable to infectious agents by swelling and getting hot.

White blood cells rush to the injured site to fight off the foreign invaders, creating a lot of debris consisting of dead cells, bacteria, and other material. As this cellular waste liquefies, it expands in volume, which causes the pocket of infection to grow larger and more inflamed. Luckily, the immune system has walled off the infection so that it's less likely to spread to healthy parts of the body. But now there is an abscess that needs to be cared for properly, lest it get worse. Once the body forms an abscess by capsulizing an infected area, it's now much more difficult for the body to heal itself by allowing the immune system to attack the foreign invaders. The end result is a pocket of infection that can't heal until it's been properly drained.

What to do for an abscess

The girl in the video had a very large abscess on her earlobe. Speaking from personal experience, I know that doctors tend to get very excited when a person has an abscess on or near the face or head, because this is where the brain is located and infection can spread there and lead to dangeorus consequences. An abscess on the ear is close to lymph nodes, which can carry the infection throughout the bloodstream. Also, abscesses that form on the face or head don't typically have a lot of space to accommodate infections.

Sometimes abscesses will come to a head and spontaneously rupture on their own. If this happens, there may be a mess to deal with as the contents of the abscess drain. It's best to have a doctor treat the abscess in medical setting to control the mess and make sure the abscess is properly debrided. The doctor will likely cleanse the area with antiseptic, then lance the abscess to allow the pus and other debris to escape. The doctor may then pack the wound with dressing and prescribe painkillers and antibiotics.

Abscesses don't usually get better until they've been allowed to drain completely. However, it's not safe for people with abscesses to try to empty the abscess by pressing on it. Doing so may drive the infection deeper into the tissues surrounding the infection. Likewise, people with abcesses should resist the urge to open the abscess with a sharp instrument, because if the tool is not sterile, it can introduce new germs into the wound. This is another reason why abcesses are best treated by a doctor; doctors have sterile equipment.

Signs to watch out for

While most abscesses rate a visit to a health care professional, it's especially important to see a doctor for any abscess that is larger than half an inch wide, particularly if it has red streaks coming from it. Medical care is definitely warranted for an abscess that causes a fever, is located on the face or head, or continues to enlarge. Seek care for anyone who has a serious underlying illness such as diabetes, cancer, AIDS, or sickle cell anemia. Likewise, a doctor should treat an abscess when a patient is an IV drug user, using steroids, or receiving chemotherapy.

Be careful

Piercings are becoming more and more fashionable. It's important to remember, however, that piercings are caused by wounds to the body. For that reason, if you choose to get a piercing, you should be scrupulous about your hygiene, particularly when the piercing is still healing. Use antiseptic to clean the area and resist the urge to pick at it with your fingers or poke it with a sharp instrument.

Sources:

Personal experience
www.webmd.com
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/6/girl-pops-giant-ear-zit-757810.html (use discretion when viewing this video)