Nose Piercing Bumps - Treatment
Nose piercing is one of the most popular piercing
nowadays. It's not so painful and it look nice. When it comes to the
aftercare, it usually takes two or three weeks to heal fully. But
like the rest of the piercings, this type of piercing takes some
risks too. If you develop a bump at the site of a body piercing,
draining it should never be a "do-it-yourself" endeavor. A bump,
especially if the site turns red, swollen or painful, or drains pus,
could indicate a staphylococcus infection or other bacteria. See
your doctor immediately; she might choose to drain the bump and send
the fluid for testing to determine the type of bacteria present. In
the meantime, she might start you on an oral antibiotic.
What/Why?
Any time you create a wound in the skin like a body piercing, you
run the risk of developing an infection. The risk increases if the
equipment used to create the opening isn't scrupulously cleaned and
sterilized between uses.
Bumps are common occurrences on nose piercings because they are
easily bumped, and cartilage also takes longer to heal than the
fleshy areas of the body such as the ear lobes. They often appear as
red bumps right beside the piercing, and can be very hard to
resolve. Causes for the bumps range from irritation to excessive
scar tissue known as keloids or granulomas. A granuloma occurs
beside a nose piercing due to the body's inflammatory response.
What to do?
If the bump around a body piercing produces pain, swelling, oozing
or a foul odor, you may have an infection. The risk increases if the
symptoms persist or if the redness spreads of redness or turns dark
red or purple and you develop a fever. You need antibiotics in
addition to draining by your doctor to treat an infection. Sending
the fluid for evaluation for the type of bacteria it contains is
very important if the infection doesn't improve. A culture and
sensitivity of the fluid determines the bacteria present as well as
which antibiotics can effectively treat it.
Cleaning Advice:
- Take an oral anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen if the
bump is due to a recent trauma. Trauma to nose piercings include
accidentally knocking the nose piercing or pulling the nose ring
out.
- Soak your nose in a salt water solution. Mix 1 cup of warm water
with 1/8 tsp. of sea salt. The water should be as warm as you can
stand it, but not so hot that it will burn your skin. To soak your
piercing, tilt your head sideways and insert into the cup of water.
This task is more comfortable if you soak it while lying down.
Alternatively, use cotton balls soaked in the salt water solution,
holding each one against your nose until it cools off. Soak at least
twice a day.
- Apply a small amount of over-the-counter cortisone cream to the
bump to help decrease the inflammation. Apply pressure to the nose.
If the nasal swelling continues after the two previous treatments,
apply direct pressure to the nose with your thumb and forefinger.
Treating Inflammation
A reddened bump doesn't always mean infection. In some cases,
inflammation can develop at the site from irritation from the
piercing rather than infection. With inflammation, the redness is
usually localized, improves with time, doesn't spread and doesn't
have a foul smell. Draining an inflamed bump won't help at all,
since it doesn't contain infected material. Injecting the bump with
cortisone often helps reduce inflammation, although you might need
more than one treatment, depending on the size of the inflamed area.
Potential Complications
Trying to drain an infected site yourself could make an infection
much worse, especially if you use a contaminated tool and introduce
even more bacteria into the wound. A serious infection that enters
the blood stream can be fatal. Let your doctor determine whether a
bump that develops at the site of a body piercing needs draining.
Only a medical professional should perform this procedure.
Keep In Mind:
Leave Jewelry in Place
If you're having any sort of trouble with your piercing, your first
impulse may be to take your jewelry out--and if you see a doctor, he
may tell you to remove your ring. But the Association of
Professional Piercers suggests that removing jewelry should be a
last resort, as it can cause further complications down the line,
including scarring and even abscesses. Most piercing complications
can be resolved with the jewelry in place.
The jewels must be made of titanium.
When To See A Doctor?
Seek medical assistance if you've tried home treatment with no
improvement after two or three weeks or if the lump seems to be
getting larger instead of smaller. If you're running a fever, see
your doctor as soon as possible. Do the same if there are dark read
streaks emanating from the piercing site or if there is a copious
amount of thick, smelly discharge.