How do you tell if your ear piercings are infected?

I got my left ear lobe pierced a third time (along with my cartilage) professionally a couple days ago. Today, my left ear hurts when I touch it and it feels like its throbbing. I've cleaned it with alcohol and rotated the earrings. Is it infected or is...

this normal?

Well, I don't have any piercings myself (I used to) but I think a few key things to look for are: abnormal discharge, swelling, redness, and fever. If you have some or all of those symptoms I'd check with a health care provider. I'm sure, however, there will be pain and it all depends on your tolerance level of pain. Keeping the area cleaned, as it appears you're doing, can help prevent infection but if there's already an infection in place that alone may not help things. Good luck! -S

hey
I just got my ears pireced at the exact same places as yours( wierd huh). Anyways don't worry they are not infected. When i got mine about a week ago i had the exact same symptoms as you do. I went 2 the doctor and he said there was nothing wrong with them. So u have nothin 2 worry about. If they hurt 2 bad just take a pain killer. If the pain continues, u might want 2 see you doctor, u might be having a rection 2 something.

Doesnt sound like they are infected, just irritated probably. Keep them clean using Hydrogen Peroxide and keep rotating the earring posts. Watch for any discharge from the hole. You'll prob be fine in a few days.

I agree, It is probably irritated. Peroxide should to fine.

i had my cartlidge pierced about a month ago.i still can't sleep on it or touch it a lot.i was told it was gonna hurt a lot after.
just keep cleaning it and if the problem gets any worse,go see a doctor.
xoxo

okay.!well I have been having close to the same problems,I got my second ear holes re-pierced at wal-mart and they did give me this anti soulution stuff in a little white bottle and told me to twist them around alittle bit three times a day.so heres what I do I wash my hands with mild soap and then I get a q tip and put some stuff on there and rub it around the holes and I got em done 2 days ago and they are not really red just alittle sore when I touch them.is that normal?please let me know asap thanks.!

well hey.,im having close to the same problems,I just got my second ear holes re-pierced at wal-mart 2 days ago,they did give me this anti soulution stuff to clean my piercings in a little white bottle.so heres what I do,I wash my hands with mild soap and then get a q tip and get the soulution stuff and put it on the q tip and rub it around the ear holes,and twist them like they said to do and I do those both 3 times a day as told,but they are not really red they are just alittle sore when I touch them,is that normal?.!and should I just leave them alone and not touch them?

discharge? I was at school today and this dried up stuff was on my piercing, my ears have been pierced for a few days, and there still hurting, and I'm use to pain, I'm a running back for my football team.

HELP!!
I had my 2nd hole pirced about 8 weeks ago and they are still hurtin.. this mornin I woke up and it was rely swolen and when I toke my earing out it burst out wiv this pusy blooy stuff.. discusting..and my hole has gone like purple and yucky.. what shall I do??? X

I pierced my left lobe by myself a week ago and it was good just a little sore and red but my mom said it could be like that for a few days to 3 weeks. but then today I took it out because it felt weird and when I turned the post it felt like liquid was on it. so I took it out and there was like some puss on it but I thought nothing of it. so I kept taking it out every few hours to make sure and none so I thought it was ok. I cleaned my ear and earring with alcohol and it was fine but after about 5 hours of not checking it there was a little more puss stuff on it? is my ear getting infected, should I go see a doctor?

I just got my second and third peircing and my third one hurts kinda how do I know it is ok bec its a lil warm and it hurts to lay down on it !!! what do I do?

Ok...I went to a tattoo parlor that does piercing and I was told everything I was told was wrong. I was told DON'T twist it because that will cause irritation. Also, not to use alcohol because that drys it out, and that most of the solutions Claire's and places give you are alcohol based so they are bad. I was given a bag of salt and told to mix it with warm water and clean my ear 2-4 times a day until it heals. I was also told it could take up to 3 months or so before they are completely healed. SO...it's been a week exactly now and they hurt a tad bit, like if I press on it, but other than that they are fine. I think the hurting is normal...?

hey, ya just asking questions not answering da question, ok, so if it swell, redness, its infected. Da earing cant be too tight because the stud is already blocking the air to get to your ear, so it cant heal. Thats called embedded. Well, anyways, mine got infected like 5-6 times, and its embedded once. Even though its infected dont take it out because by the time it heals you take it out and your piercing will close. Well, hows your piercing?

OMG DO NOT USE PEROXIDE OR ALCOHOL. IT KEEPS THE PIERCING FROM HEALING. USE SOME SEASALT AND WARM WATER. YOU CAN GET SEASALT FROM THE STORE.