I got a tongue piercing and it's infected. Can't tell my parent so what do I do? I'm terrified, advice please?

Question

I got my tongue pierced, and now it's infected, and I'm terrified it will grow huge and deform my mouth, or spread to my brain, or any of those other horrible possibilities. The infection is very small, maybe a large pin head? (o <- about that) Please give me advice on how to keep my tongue, and hopefully the piercing too. My piercer said she can either remove it now, while it's still small, or i can try washing it twice a day with sea salt, which is supposed to be a very good healer, and washing out with listerine at least 6 and hopefully 8 times a day. She says I should see results within a week, the sea salt is that quick, but I'm still so very nervous. If there is anything more that I can do, tell me :} Seeing a doctor isn't really an option.

Answer 1

Go to a doctor or emergency room. You need anti-biotics and they are only available by prescription. You also need Peridex (prescription only). It's an anti-microbial mouthwash. Tell your parents, go to a doctor, have the piercing removed, and get treated before you get septic (blood infection).
You are gambling with your health if you don't seek immediate medical treatment. If your tongue swells enough, you may stop breathing.

Tongue piercings have many risks, especially if they aren't done in a sterile environment:

Infection: is a possibility with any opening in skin or oral tissues. Since the mouth is teeming with bacteria, oral piercing carries a high potential for infection at the site of the piercing. Handling the jewelry once it has been placed increases the chances of developing an infection.

Prolonged bleeding: can occur when damage is done to the tongue's blood vessels.

Swelling and possible nerve damage: Swelling is a common symptom experienced after oral piercing. Since the tongue is in constant motion it can slow and complicate the healing process. It has been reported that some swelling due to tongue piercing have been serious enough to block the airway.

Blood borne disease transmission: of hepatitis B, C, D and G, and syphilis. Tetanus and tuberculosis are also a risk. The Institutes of Health has identified piercing as a possible route for the transmission of hepatitis.

Blood poisoning, toxic shock, septicemia, tetanus, AIDS, staph infections and sexually transmissible disease can be associated with oral piercing.

Endocarditis: is a serious inflammation of the heart valves or tissues. The wound created during oral piercing provides an opportunity for oral bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where it can travel to the heart. This presents a risk for people who have cardiac abnormalities.

Answer 2

Salt water is good but why can't you tell your parents? Do you honestly think they don't know (or aren't going to find out) about the piercing? Are you planning on keeping your mouth closed whenever they're around for the next 40 years!

Okay so you don't want to tell your parents...is there not an older sister or aunt or cousin or grandparent or school nurse or a friend's mum you could talk to?

If you're over 18 then what does it matter whether your parents approve or not...and, if you're under 18, then your parents should know cuz there are probably some questions that need to be asked of the person who did the piercing for you!

Answer 3

First... why is seeing a doctor or dentist not an option? It is the best thing for you to do! Keeping secrets from your parents is the wrong thing to do. Especially if it is keeping you from proper medical care. And if you have to keep it a secret, that must mean that you're too young to be making such decisions. That also means that a professional piercer was doing wrong in piercing your tongue if you are a minor.
Was it a smart thing to do, piercing your tongue? NO WAY! I've seen too many cases where people have developed mouth ulcers, infected abscesses in the tongue, broken teeth from biting absentmindedly on the bar and, the extreme, one case of cancer of the floor of the mouth.
Jewelry is not meant to be a mouth ornament!
Be smart... take the bar out and see a doctor. Get treated before it gets too bad. If you are so intent on body ornamentation, get a tattoo!

Answer 4

Considering you're 14 they're probably going to say no. I got my tongue and belly button pierced behind my mom's back and she wouldn't talk to me for a while when she found out. She didn't make me take them out but she really wasn't happy with me. She still isn't even though I took my tongue piercing out. (I was 18 when I got them). Tongue piercings take about a month to heal completely. It's really not the greatest thing in the world. You can't eat, can't talk... basically can't do anything for a couple of weeks with it. Plus, it swells up really bad if you have a reaction to it. Mine didn't but sometimes it happens. But if you're really set on getting it just ask them. You can't get it without parental consent anyways so going behind their back most likely wouldn't work.

Answer 5

Your taking a chance here.
An infection is an infection. Some can heal with rinses but some need antibiotics.

If you want to chance waiting and seeing if the sea salt and Listerine works then you can.
Otherwise you should tell your parents and get into the Dr. asap!
(If the infection spreads then you might end up with a horrific outcome, which you don't want. If it were me, I would bite the bullet and tell my parents. I would rather have a mad mom and dad then live without a tongue!)

Answer 6

Infected Tongue

Answer 7

Tell your parents?? First of all you must be 18 to get a piercing or have parental consent if not, so if the so called piercer pierced your tongue and you are not at least 18 or have a consent form signed they can be shut down if it is an actual shop. Second of all if it was one of your friends who did this to you then I would reconsider the friendship. Either way do you think even if it healed great and you live with your parents you can hide it from them forever? Get medical attention as soon as possible and forget the piercings.

Answer 8

If you have an infection and you can't go to the doctor and get an antibiotic without your parents knowing then you really have to tell them.They'll probubly find out anyway if the infection gets really bad. The infection could spread all over and get you really sick. Listerine and sea salt? You're probubly going to have to take the piercing out and let it heal. Can you get it done later? When you don't need your parents permission.

Answer 9

Go back to your piercer and have her take it out. Piercing infections can get real nasty, real fast, especially in your mouth where bacteria is constantly present. How old is the piercing? If it's less than a week old then you can probably expect some swelling and a small degree of infection but continue to wash your mouth out with mouthwash and salt water. If it doesn't improve, go to your piecer immediately. One more thing, do you have a clear tongue ring or do you just not talk to your parents?

Answer 10

Well you should tell your parents, but its your decision to tell them or not.

I have mine done too, and it got infected. So what I did was I went on a liquid diet, eat foods that are soft and no solid foods. Than I would rinse my mouth out twice a day with sea salt, because yes it is a good healer and you should be rinsing it out quite often if you just recently got it pierced. Also rinsing with Listerine helps clean it out, and brushing very gently with a toothbrush also helps clean the hole and your tongue bar as well. Plaque will make it worse, so keep your teeth and tongue clean. It should heal up in no time.