A new ear 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. Taking good care of your piercing is key to preventing infection.
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.
How To Treat An Infected Ear Piercing
Your upper ear is cartilage, a thick, stiff tissue with less blood flow. Piercings in your upper ear are more likely to become infected, and infections in your upper ear are sometimes serious.
Millions of people get their ears pierced every year, and most of them have no serious complications. Mild irritation and infections are common, however, for new piercings. In most cases, infections aren’t serious and clear up quickly.
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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.
If bacteria get into a new piercing, it can lead to infection. You may expose your new piercing to harmful bacteria by:
What Is An Infection?
Many things can increase your risk of getting an infection from an ear piercing. Certain health conditions can affect your body’s immune system and your ability to fight infection. These conditions include:
Upper ear piercings are more likely to get infected. Left untreated, these infections can lead to a condition known as perichondritis. An infection can also spread into your body (systemic infection).
If you see signs of an infected cartilage piercing, you should contact a healthcare provider. The provider can assess the severity of the infection.
Is Your Piercing Infected
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:
With good care, most infections clear up within a few days. If your infected ear piercing isn’t improving, you should see a healthcare provider.
Getting your ears pierced is most often a safe, simple procedure. Be sure to go to an experienced piercer who practices proper hygiene. Keep your new piercings clean, and don’t remove your earrings until your piercings have healed completely. Be patient — by preventing an infection now, you can enjoy your healthy piercings for years to come.Your ears and the area behind the ears (otherwise known as the mastoid bone) are highly sensitive parts of the human body. As many blood vessels and nerves can be found there, any slight irritation can cause significant pain and discomfort.
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While it’s uncommon to experience pain behind the ear, it can be caused by issues related to your ear, mouth and jaw. The pain may feel sharp or stabbing, or it can be dull and throbbing. It can also come in the form of a headache or fullness in the ears.
In certain cases, this sensation can spread to other parts of the body including the back of your head, neck, jaw and cheeks.
This article will explore various causes for the pain behind your ear. For each condition, we’ll share the symptoms and methods of treatment. We’ll also touch on potential complications if certain conditions are left untreated.
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The lining of the outer ear canal is protected by a substance called cerumen, otherwise commonly known as earwax. In normal situations, this substance will naturally be cleared out of the canal.
However, there are instances whereby earwax may build up deep within the ear canal, causing it to become hard and impacted over time. This includes:
An infection of the outer ear canal, Swimmer’s ear, occurs when bacteria enters the ear and causes inflammation. This often results from excess moisture in the ear after activities such as swimming, as the damp environment facilitates the growth of bacteria.
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Otitis media, also known as middle ear infection, is caused by the inflammation of the space between the eardrum and inner ear. This condition often surfaces in children, though it can affect individuals of all ages.
The common causes of otitis media are viral respiratory tract infections such as colds or flu. As the middle ear is connected to the nose and the back of the throat by the eustachian tube, germs from such infections can spread to the middle ear easily. This can, in turn, cause the middle ear to become inflamed.
When the pressure in the middle ear becomes too high, the eardrum may rupture. This can lead to pus-like discharge from the ear and/or immediate relief from the pain.
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Mastoiditis is the infection of the mastoid bone resulting from untreated acute otitis media. It’s relatively uncommon, though it tends to affect children under the age of 2 years. This condition is serious and requires immediate medical attention from a doctor.
Aside from reasons related to the ears, conditions or issues with your teeth and jaw can also cause pain behind the ear.
Did you know that dental issues such as decay and cavities, impacted teeth and dental abscesses (infections caused by untreated tooth decay) could indirectly cause pain behind the ear?
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Though the pain is actually from your teeth, your brain may mistakenly assume that the sensation is coming from your ear. This is known as referred pain.
As the temporomandibular joint is located near the ear, pain resulting from TMJ disorders may feel like they’re coming from the ear instead of the jaw.
This condition is characterised by severe stabbing or shooting pain resulting from damaged occipital nerves. The pain occurs suddenly on one side of the head and can spread to the back of the head and even the upper neck.
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While the cause of this condition is unknown, some medical conditions such as neck osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease may be related to it.
When the virus causing chickenpox is reactivated, it results in a condition known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. This is a rare condition that causes intense pain in the ear and this sensation may spread to the neck.
As there are numerous reasons for experiencing pain behind the ear, you may be referred to different doctors or specialists for diagnosis. This includes ENT specialists, dentists, neurologists or audiologists .
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You may also have to undergo various tests before the cause of the pain can be determined. These are some common methods for diagnosing the pain:
This is often the first step in diagnosing the cause of the pain. Your doctor or specialist will review your medical history, including medications, before asking some questions to determine the nature of the pain.
The questions may be related to the location, frequency and severity of the pain. You may also be asked to list other symptoms you experience.
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After understanding your medical history and the nature of the pain, your doctor or specialist may conduct a physical examination. This includes checks on your vital signs and an examination of your head, neck, ears and mouth.
At Hearing Partners, we’ll use an otoscope to detect signs of earwax buildup or infections. Tympanometry may also reveal signs of ear infections such as otitis media, though the diagnosis and treatment of such conditions will be handled by our ENT partners .
X-rays, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are examples of imaging tests that may be done to help diagnose the cause of your pain. They can identify arthritis of the neck or jaw joints or bony abnormalities near the ear.
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Certain conditions causing pain behind the ear may lead to complications if left untreated. For example, untreated otitis externa, otitis media and earwax buildup may lead to hearing loss .
The method to get rid of pain behind your ear depends on the condition causing it. You’re advised to consult a healthcare professional such as an ENT doctor or audiologist for advice.
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