Earring Infection causing back to be embedded

[jel0511]

Last night DD 10 comes to me and asks me where her earring backs have gone. I look at her ears and the backs are "gone" and they lobes look red and inflamed. She has had her earrings for 5 years and no problems before. Looks like an infection is brewing. Anyway, I stupidly think that the backs have just fallen off and start to pull the earring out of her ears. As soon as I start removing the earrings, I realize that the backs are not missing, but INSIDE her earlobes!!!! I get the earrings out and then start the search and rescue for the earring backs. There is pus coming out of the holes.... YUCK!!!! I finally am able to remove the backs out of her ears. I cleaned them out with Bactine and put neosporin on them last night. This morning, they still look slightly red and are all scabbed over as well as looking inflammed. I plan on calling the ped when they open up this morning, but I've never heard of this before. HELP!!!!

 

[DawnCt1]

I am not surprised. Infection causes swelling, induration and as you can see, drainage. Keep the appointment with the pediatrician. Hydrogen peroxide can loosen up any crusts.

 

[golfgal]

This happens to DD too. Unless you see more signs of infection you probably don't need to take her to the dr. Just keep it clean and use the antibiotic ointment. DD can only wear hoop style or the backings with the big plastic thing on them now. Tell your DD not to put the backings on so tight from now on too.

 

[JessicaR]

This happened to me at about the same age. I wasn't as fortunate and had to have the doctor remove them. We were advised to let the holes close and wait a few years to re-pierce them. I still have scars. I was constantly tightening the backs and the doc said some kids just do that for fear of losing their earrings. They were an infected mess and I was happy to see the earrings go! I was given an antibiotic salve and that worked to clear the mess up.

 

[clori]

It happened to my dd about a year ago when her ears had been pierced a bit over a year (she wore earrings every single day the first year). We noticed it Sunday night getting ready for bed. I called the oncall peds to see how to treat it until dd could be seen the next day. I was told to go right to the e.r. (urgent care is fine just don't really have that around here, just fast track at e.r.).

That night we really lucked out and dd was called in before paperwork was even done. The dr put cream on the ear etc. He decided that the needle to numb it would hurt more than just taking the backing out so it wasn't numbed (I guess emla isn't used on ears?). It honestly didn't hurt dd any then the area was cleaned much better with first aid cream etc. I probably could have done the same thing myself at home but wasn't sure if I would hurt anything long term.

I was told it was very important to start an antibiotic that night. I remember it was 5 days and I think it was 4 times a day since I remember having to have the school nurse do one dose but I can't remember what one. It may have been keflex. I also applied bacitracin for a few days. I think it was no earrings for a month. I was surprised that after the recommended waiting time that dd's ear hadn't closed up.

My older sister had something similiar happen one time and my niece did as well though hers wasn't as bad. The e.r. doctor said it was very common and they usually had at least one every two weeks.

 

[JVL1018]

That happened to my daughter-it didn't get infected, though.
I had to fish out the earring back using the post of the earring. It was so gross.
I'm not sure why it happened, but ever since I have her wear hoops or fish hook earrings or if they are post ones, I got her the disc backs, no more little metal backs for her.

 

[shirleyb]

Poor thing, that had to really hurt!

 

[eh24fan]

My guess is that she put the backs on way too tight and then the skin grew around it. My DSD used to mess with hers, making it too tight. We had to keep an eye on it.

 

[SandraVB79]

That happened to me too when I first had pierced earrings. My mom took me to the doctor, who got them out and it took me 10+ years before I dared to wear earrings again!

Now, I never ever wear non-gold earrings anymore. It's the real stuff or nothing, for the fear of infections!

 

[jel0511]

That happened to me too when I first had pierced earrings. My mom took me to the doctor, who got them out and it took me 10+ years before I dared to wear earrings again!

Now, I never ever wear non-gold earrings anymore. It's the real stuff or nothing, for the fear of infections!

That's the scary thing, they were gold!!! We have a 10:30 appt with the doctor. I'll keep everyone posted!

 

[reeddi]

Yep I had that happen with my piercing studs at age 15 - pure gold.

It happens. The doctor will probably tell you to leave the earrings out over the next few weeks. Keep the area clean - no hairspray. Might give you some antibotics just in case the infection gets worse.

I am sure she will be ok and eventually she will wear earrings again. I agree with other posters to maybe go for hoops or ones that have a hook with no back. I wear earrings now all the time with no issue and I am 36 years old.

Good luck.

Reeddi

 

[momto2girls]

Yep, it happened to me too. I was 10, I think. I actually had to go to the doctor and have them dig them out of my earlobes. It was quite traumatic.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

That's the scary thing, they were gold!!! We have a 10:30 appt with the doctor. I'll keep everyone posted!

Good luck! This used to happen to my mom. My ears don't like earrings that much at all, even if they are gold. It's a bummer.

Keep up posted!

 

[liamsaunt]

This used to happen to me a lot when I still wore earrings. At first it was only when I would wear non-gold. Then even gold earrings started irritating and causing a horrible reaction like you describe. I eventually had special backings, I think they were plastic, and had my posts coated with plastic too. I cleaned my ears constantly with peroxide, and had creams, etc. Nothing really helped. Eventually I just gave up on earrings altogether. I think I might be overly senstive though--for example, if I wear a non-gold chain on my neck, the metal burns into the skin on the back of my neck and leaves itchy scabs.

 

[froglady]

This happened to me way back when. I think it's due to the fact that when you first get your ears pierced (first year or so), you're afraid to take the earrings out for fear that the holes will close.

I've had them pierced long enough so that I can leave them out for days without any worries. I also do not like the little backs, so I replace them all with discs, or larger backs (for a pair of expensive diamond studs, and pearl ones) from my jeweler.

I have quite a collection of backs, along with the odd earring, so will be having them melted down for gold.

 

[5Slays]

This happens to DD too. Unless you see more signs of infection you probably don't need to take her to the dr. Just keep it clean and use the antibiotic ointment. DD can only wear hoop style or the backings with the big plastic thing on them now. Tell your DD not to put the backings on so tight from now on too.

That is exactly what we have to do for DD. But it is not working as well as it used to, I am thinking that we will have to go to solid gold for her. I have tried the sensitive ear types and the sterling and none of those work.

 

[jel0511]

We're back. Dr said, that as of right now there isn't much more we can do. Just neosporin and when the scabs fall off, to try getting her earrings back in. Go with hoops, not reg posts.... Thanks for your concern and advice!

 

[Michelle67]

Ugh, I'm sorry. My sister had that happen to her. Mine will swell, scab, crust, weep, and hurt like crazy if I wear most earrings. Once I find something that doesn't bother me, I usually stick with that pair and don't touch them. I've had better luck with titanium posts than gold, personally.

Something else to be aware of is that the "sensitive" or hypoallergenic earrings, and sometimes even gold earrings, will often have backs that contain nickel, which is the #1 culprit for irritation! It's astounding, but true. My sister buys rubber backs and uses those with all her earrings, and has much better luck. None of us can wear "cheap" or novelty earrings just the same, but the rubber backs do better for her even with higher quality earrings.

 

[JR6ooo4]

My DW is alergic to all earing metals except platinum. Silver, gold etc all cause infections. But nowhere else on her body, rings etc. are fine.

I hope the ears heal soon and are not too much discomfort.

Mikeeee