Piercing Can Be Risky

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Infection Protection Piercing Can Be Risky, but Problems Can Be Avoided, Say Experts By Melinda T. Willis Careful attention can keep body piercings from causing complications, say experts. (Bob Galbraith/AP Photo) Dec. 17 — Body piercings can carry some serious risks, and experts are concerned that with their increase in popularity, the once rare reports of serious complications may become more common. Yale physicians, for example, recently reported the case of a young woman who developed a brain abscess, or infection, that was likely caused by her tongue piercing. Based on the type of bacteria that were found in her brain, her physicians believe the infection traveled from her mouth to her brain through her bloodstream. According to experts, cases of travelling infections like the Yale case are relatively uncommon, though may become more widespread as body piercing gains in popularity. "I think that serious problems will be seen more often," says Samantha Tweeten, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at UC San Diego and San Diego State University, and author of a 1998 Clinical Infectious Diseases article on the infectious complications of piercings. "But there are two possibilities here: One is that with the increase in popularity, people will seek trained piercers more. The flip side is that people may be more inclined to do them themselves." The Trouble with Tongues Experts say there are two ways that piercings can cause problems. The first is when the piercer uses improper sterilization techniques, which in addition to bacterial infections, have also been linked to the transmission of hepatitis and even HIV. "The classic risk is that the needles are not sterilized between patients," says Dr. Marvin Bittner, associate professor at Creighton University School of Medicine and an expert on infectious disease. The second cause of piercing problems is through poor "aftercare", that is how a person treats their piercings once they leave the parlor. Healing times and proper care techniques can vary widely based upon what has been pierced — the navel, the ears, the tongue or the eyebrow — so its important to be well informed about cleaning and maintenance. For example, "When you pierce an ear, what you are doing is building a tunnel of scar tissue," explains Tweeten. "But that is not happening with the tongue, because you are piercing through a muscle mass. So you don't actually get true healing the way you do with ear piercing." Oral piercings like the tongue are also of particular concern to dentists. "Orally the biggest thing is chipped teeth," says Dr. Ken Tilashalski of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry at Birmingham who specializes in oral pathology. "There have been some case reports of [gum] recession." Properly Pierced Regardless of the location, experts say body piercing has the potential to become seriously infected and should be properly cared for. "I like body piercing, I think it's interesting," adds Tweeten, who also gives lectures to high school students and physicians about the potential risks of piercing. Tweeten has some advice for people who are interested in getting pierced to make sure that their piercer won't cause a problem. "My recommendation is that they go someplace that has a good reputation and that they ask questions," says Tweeten. "If you are asking a piercer questions and they are uncomfortable and don't want to answer them — get out." She also recommends people seek piercers who belong to the Association of Professional Piercers, an organization that seeks to promote the safety and health of body piercing. Members are required to provide evidence of a clean facility, be certified in CPR and to educate piercees about proper aftercare to help ward off infections. People with tongue piercings, for example, can make sure they gargle with antiseptic mouthwash to try to keep infection causing by bacteria at bay. While there is no documentation of how common piercing complications are, experts say that serious problems remain uncommon and should not cause unnecessary fear. "Most people don't have a problem," adds Tilashalski. -ABC NEWS