Infected piercing help!

[Hotandbothered222]

i had a conch piercing done last week and by Friday my ear was very red, hot and painful. I thought I might need antibiotics so I took myself off to urgent care yesterday - the nurse removed the earring (fuck me, that hurt!) and told me to wait for the doctor. It transpired the wait was 5 hours so I left, thinking the doctor could well tell me it would get better on its own as it felt much better once the earring was out, and I would have wasted time (and nhs resources).

It’s still red and hot this morning though. So, people with experience of piercings, will it eventually get better now the earring is out or will I have to suck it up and call my GP tomorrow to ask for antibiotics (which will necessitate time off work for the call). Feel a bit of a twat tbh - I’m in my 40s and should know better!

Hmmmm. Shame you couldn't go back to the piercers. I've had quite a few piercings and my conch was done recently. It swelled up and was red, hot and painful so I went back to the piercing shop.

Advice was don't remove the piercing but upsize the bar. It felt immediately better when that was done but it bloody hurt! Then I was told to not lie on it.

It felt better within about 2 days so hopefully yours will settle again.

I did go back to the piercers - they said they could take it out, but that was all they could do, so it would have been a waste of the £45 I’d spent having it done. By the time I got to urgent care though, I was so desperate for the pain to stop that I’d given up caring about the money!

I was hoping they’d say it could stay in and they’d give me antibiotics, but the nurse said no way, it would have to come out.

I would have wasted time (and nhs resources).
But you've used an urgent care centre, and now also going to your GP, so you've used 2 NHS appointments already!

Do you have a fever, or just the ear is red/hot? Have you been cleaning the ear with anything? Did the pierces advise what the clean it with? Hopefully it will settle on its own, but if not, or you get a fever, feel systemically unwell etc I'd see someone. Some walk in centres and GP's have nurse prescribers who can issue antibiotics if needed too.

Did the piercer give an opinion on whether they thought it was infected?

have you got a temperature?

I don't suppose that matters now but I hope you get sorted soon. A sore ear is no fun!

@JC03745 yes, I know, I really don’t want to be wasting the GP’s time! When I left yesterday I really thought it was getting better on its own. This morning I wasn’t so sure. I don’t feel unwell though, so hopefully I can avoid the GP and it will settle. I’ve been cleaning it with boiled water with some rock salt in, as advised by the piercer.

A friend had a upper ear piercing (in the cartilage) that got infected, persisted, and ended up having surgery after several visits to A&E. She was very ill and now has a disfigured ear.
if conch is cartilage they can be very persistent infections

@NightHouse he thought it looked infected and felt it and said it was hot. I don’t have a temperature or I’d have waited yesterday. If I do I’ll definitely get the antibiotics - I feel daft enough already, I’d feel a right idiot if I gave myself sepsis!

@curious79 oh god! That sounds awful, your poor friend. DH said don’t worry, you can get another piercing. No way, I’m done!