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10 Dec 2006 01:41
The Risks of Body Piercing
The risks of body piercing vary; depending on what part of your anatomy is being decorated. For instance having your tongue pierced can scrape tooth enamel (and even break teeth) and cause the need for expensive dental work in the future. Also a pierced tongue is more prone to medical complications in general, including but not limited to blood poisoning, blood clots hemorrhaging, nerve damage, paralysis, staph infections, methicillin resistant bacteria (flesh eating disease) and toxic shock can result. Why is it so hard for the tongue to heal after a piercing? Piercing your tongue requires a much larger hole then the tiny pinprick that is used to pierce a person’s earlobe. The fact that the tongue is constantly in motion also makes it more difficult for a tongue piercing would to heal fast.
However no matter where you get a body piercing on your person there are some risks that are common to these types of small wounds. The most common problems are infection, allergic reactions, hepatitis B, HIV transmission, and tetanus. One of the most regrettable consequences of irresponsive body piercing can be Hepatitis B. This is a disease of the liver that causes it to chronically swell and not work properly. Hepatitis B is caused by the HBV virus, (hepatitis B virus) although it can also be caused by alcohol and other toxins (poisonous substances). However it can also be caused by contaminated needles used for tattooing and piercing. Almost 80% of all HBV virus cases turn into liver cancer. Yet another common result of contracting this virus through a body-piercing needle is cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a scarring of the liver that prevents the organ from regenerating. Both cirrhosis and Hepatitis B have no cures but are managed by expensive medications. Yet another sometimes-fatal consequence of body piercing is an HIV infection (AIDS) which can be contracted through a dirty tattooing or piercing needle. AIDS is a deficiency of the body’s immunes system that makes it difficult to fight off infection. It can take ten years or more for the HIV virus to develop into full-blown AIDS which makes the personal vulnerable to dying from a very simple infection like the flu. One of 250 Americans is currently HIV positive and does not know it. The main way to avoid HIV and Hepatitis B is to get your body piercing done at a professional salon that is very clean and that has sterilized needles. Piercing your own cheek, lip, tongue, eyebrow, naval, tongue or ears is NOT recommended for anybody in this day and age. Yet another way to avoid infections is to not rub petroleum jelly or alcohol into your piercing. These substances can clog or break down tissue around the piercing causing inflammation and infection. You should also never use mouthwash to cleanse the wounds. Rinsing the wounds with pure saline is best as is avoiding rotating the jewelry, which simply doubles the time that you, body-piercing needs to heal. As is true with any medical procedure make sure you follow your professional body piercing expert’s postoperative care instructions to the letter to prevent physical complications. |
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