Infection!! Help!

[steph0hsaurus]

hey, so i recently went up to a 0g. now its almost a week and i realized that my glands were swollen, the left side being bigger. im assuming its infected. I removed the tunnel and saw my lobe was bleeding and pussing. but 2 days prior it seemed like it was healing just fine. so, i dont have health insurance and i dont want to take out the tunnel. i know its stupid but im stubborn. ive been using neosporin, anti-bacteria hand soap, and salt water. its the 2nd day, should continue what im doing or just take it out?

[Nic]

dont take ur tunnel out while its healing, if its infected use sea salt soaks or get sum H2Ocean, that stuff works miracles!! If u got ne questions just shoot me a message

[leighmarie]

Is your ear hot to the touch? Or is the pus a strange colour? If not, then there's a chance it's not infected, you could have just damaged it in your sleep or something.

I agree with Nic though, keep going with the Sea Salt Soaks and try not to fiddle with the jewellery too much; it will just irritate things further.

[steph0hsaurus]

thanks guys. its not pussing but it sure is red inside. and itches like hell. im not going it take it out. my gland hasnt gone down either. ill keep you guys posted.

[shellbournian]

what material is the jewelry you're wearing?

[steph0hsaurus]

im wearing metal tunnels

[twosharks]

While you should have something in the piercing, it should be smaller. Downsizing will help it heal faster. Implant grade metals are fine, but glass is often better for some people. Just make sure to wash it well before changing the jewelry. Keep up with the saline soaks and soap and leaving it alone, and keep an eye on those swollen glands. That usually means you're fighting infection, so just hope your body wins out. You'll need a doctor if this gets worse or doesn't improve quickly. Better to shell out lots of cash for antibiotics than have your head swell up like a sausage.

[shellbournian]

Personally, SS irritates my ears so I tend to wear it for as short a time as possible. Like twosharks said, glass may be a better option for you. Or perhaps silicone. Silicone is great because when you roll around in your sleep, it doesn't rub against the fistula as much. Plus, its comfy.

--edit--
Also, emu oil is my best friend.