Wednesday, June 19, 2013

How to take care of Belly Button Ring Infection: Symptoms & Treatment

Belly button piercing, also known as navel piercing, is quite a rage amongst youngsters. A lot of people in recent times, especially women, are getting their belly button pierced with cute, fun or flirty rings to beautify their looks and personality. However, many of them are completely unaware of the risks and dangers associated with this fashion trend. It can cause skin irritation and severe infection in individuals. And never ever commit the mistake of taking an infected belly button piercing lightly because if it is not treated at the right time then there are chances that it may spread to the bloodstream, and this in turn can cause life-threatening problems.

How to take care of Belly Button Ring Infection: Symptoms & Treatment

So, if you just recently got your belly button pierced, then you must observe the piercing carefully for signs of infection. Of course, there are certain signs and symptoms that will let you know an infection is present and that immediate treatment is needed. A few such common symptoms of an infected belly button piercing are given below. Also read on the article to learn about the treatment of infection after belly button piercing.

Signs and Symptoms of an Infected Belly Button Piercing:


Presence of pain around the Naval Area: The first and the foremost symptom of an infected belly button piercing is severe pain around the pierced area. In majority of the cases, people may experience sharp, severe, and persistent pain in this area.

Swelling and Redness: The pain is often accompanied by swelling on the area where the piercing is done. Remember that belly button piercing healing process involves the initial swelling but as time goes by, the swelling subsides. And if the swelling doesn’t subside and it becomes worse, then it definitely indicates an infection. Persistent redness on the piercing area is also another warning sign to look for.

Presence of Pus: If you see a yellow, thick fluid oozing out from the piercing then certainly an infection is present. This yellowish fluid is called pus. Mostly it appears watery but at times it can also have a thick consistency. Moreover, when the piercing advances to its later stages, the pus will become thick and its color would change to yellowish-green. This stage is extremely dangerous as it could lead to septicemia - a hazardous condition where the infection spreads throughout the body by way of the bloodstream.

Formation of an Abscess: If an infection is not treated at the right time then there are chances that it may result in abscess (a fluid-filled sack that forms within a tissue). An abscess normally contains pus, dead tissue, white blood cells, and germs. This abscess in turn can result in hardening of the nearby tissues, swelling, and darkening of the skin as well. The presence of an abscess clearly suggests that the infection is in its advanced stage and so immediate treatment is required in these situations.

Flaky Skin: The skin surrounding the piercing may get dry, hard and flaky.

Foul Smell: Some people may also detect a foul odor coming from the pierced location.

Warm sensation: Some people may feel warm in the piercing area when it is touched.

Abdominal Infections: In some rare cases, this infection could also result in abdominal infection and food poisoning.

How to treat an Infected Belly Button Piercing?

Generally, people have a misconception that one should immediately take off the belly button ring when the piercing gets infected. But the truth is that by doing so will only lead to the formation of abscesses in the area. Hence, if you notice any of the above symptoms, then the best thing to do is to keep the accessory in its place and seek proper medical treatment as soon as possible. Now, given below are some important aftercare tips that you can follow to get better at a faster pace.

Saline Water: Add 1 tsp of sea salt in 1 cup of water and then clean the infected area with this solution using a cotton ball. For optimum results, try to do this regularly at least two times a day and make sure to use freshly prepared solution and fresh cotton ball every time you clean the infected area.

Hydrogen Peroxide: The use of hydrogen peroxide for belly button infection treatment has been proven to be very effective. Hydrogen peroxide repairs the infection by extracting the pus from the affected area. However, keep in mind that you must not use this solution, once the infection fully clears up.

Topical Creams: If your infection is not too severe then you can use over-the-counter topical antibiotic or antiseptic ointment to heal the infection. Just take some ointment on your fingers and then gently spread it on the area. But ensure you use only a small amount of ointment at a time as too much of it can clog the piercing area and thus delay the healing process.

Clean Clothing: It is highly recommended to wear loose, comfortable cotton clothes during the healing process of a belly button piercing. Otherwise, there is a significant chance that your clothes would constantly rub and irritate the piercing. Moreover, by wearing clean and loose cotton clothes, you can prevent your piercing from getting stuck or pulled. In addition, make sure that you don’t sleep on the same bed sheet if you have infection, change them everyday without fail.

Hot Compress: If the pus is not draining out from the piercing wound, then you can get rid of the infection with the help of hot compress. For mild cases, application of warm compress on the affected area may help improve the blood circulation. However, see to it that you are using a clean cloth and a disinfected container for the purpose. To sterilize the container, just soak it in a hot water and refined-salt solution.

Cleaning Area: It is very important to keep the infected area clean. For this, make use of an antibacterial soap and a cup of warm water. You can also use the cleaning products suggested by your piercer. These cleaning products are particularly meant for treating the piercing and so they will help you clean the area properly.

How to Take Care of an Infected Belly Button Piercing video from youtube:

8 comments:

I have pus coming from it and I was wondering how long it took for it to spread through the blood?

The best thing to do is what I like to call the "shot glass method"
Take a shot glass and pour about half a teaspoon of table or sea salt into the bottom. Add hot water to dissolve the salt, and stir. While the mixture is cooling off (to luke-warm) grab a pillow and a clean wash cloth, and arrange them on the surface of your choice.

Once the solution is ready, take the shot glass, and leaning over at the waist, line up the bottom rim of the glass just underneath your belly button. Quickly place the rest of the shot glass over the piercing, surrounding it. If you remain leaning over during this process, you wont have any spillage, and it will suction to your tummy.

At this point you can stand up, and go lay down on your back. Wait five or ten minutes allowing the solution to soak into the wound. Once your time's up, stand up, and reverse the process. Lean over, remove the shot glass by pulling away from the top of the piercing first, and empty the glass into the sink.

Check your piercing for any oozing of pus or fluid. If there is any, squeeze as much out as you can, and wipe it clean. Be sure to rinse the salt solution from your piercing, and pat dry.

Its amazing at getting rid of infections and such. Don't take it out yet. Seriously. What a waste of money!! Try this first.

Pus is normal for new piercings. My dermals still pus every once in a while, and they're nearly 2 years old. Whitish colored is normal.

If you are truly worried, go check with your piercer.

I have a thick green like slime come out of my piercing like every morning. but i cant see it until i move my piercing all the way up. But my bellybutton isnt red or anything else this stuff just comes out once in a while and ive had my piercing for almost two months now. Is this bad or will it just go away?

Then it's ok.... You do not need to worry..

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