Are My ears infected?

[Emmie47]

I got my ear pieced on Sunday so like 5 days ago. And only one of them is a bit red My Dad it maybe because I am sleeping on it and sometimes when I wake up since I only got it about 5 days ago I forget I have my ears pieced so one day I rubed by it an oh! did that ever hurt and what is weird is that I have been putting on the cleaning stuff and I cleaned both earings the same! Can you help I am not sure what to do?
please tell me asap!
Thanks so much!!!:D

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Yes, you have cellulitis of the ear pinna. This is an infection of the skin and the tissue underneath. Clean with antiseptic lotions. Take a course of antibiotics and anti inflammatories. Apply a local antibiotic at the site of ear pierce. If infection persists consult your PCP.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[cindycrawford06]

It sounds like the beginning of an infection.  Look at this site http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-an-Infected-Ear-Piercing it has helpful information about whether it is seriously infected or not.  I have used the saline water treatment to cure a mildly infected piercing before.....it works great....better than putting any ointment on it.  You have to hold the piercing in a cup of warm saline water for a couple of minutes a couple of times a day.  Just be sure to not to use iodized salt...I used Epsom salts that you can buy from any drugstore or Wal-Mart.  I also applied a litle bit of Neosporin on my piercing (it was a bellybutton ring) after each soaking, just a little and I didn't mess with it (like pushing the piercing around to try to get the Neosporin inside the piercing).  If you google ear piercing infection you will find hundreds of sites with advice about what to do, also.  Good luck!