Traditionally, women have favored body piercings and jewelry. Increasingly, now these are considered a fashion statement by both genders. This has made body piercings popular for body parts such as the nose, ear, navel, and even the tongue. Wearing jewelry in the pierced part can become a unique way to highlight the personality. However, body piercings in sensitive areas such as the tongue, navel, ears, or genitals can cause certain health problems. Some serious problems related to health originate from the act of piercing the body or from the adverse effects or reactions caused by the jewelry worn in the piercing.
Can Body Piercings Cause Health Problems?
Usually, people puncture soft areas of the body such as the nose, ears, lips, or the tongue to wear adornments and jewelry. The puncture is usually created using a needle. Though the process appears simple and widely used across cultures, body piercings can lead to several unpleasant health problems.
List of Various Health Problems Caused by Body Piercings
Let us discuss how body piercings cause health problems by listing the ill effects of body piercings or the jewelry worn therein.
- Bacterial infection: The piercing may be in the ear, tongue, navel, genital area, or any other body part, but bacterial infection is the most common health issue involved in body piercing. Left untreated, any pus collecting in a piercing can heighten the risk of scars or keloids, with severe cases even requiring surgery. The major health problems caused by infected body piercings include septicemia or blood poisoning, which can be hazardous. The traditional piercing of the ear lobes is usually safe. However, risks are higher for punctures made in the tongue, where bacterial infection can spread to the entire mouth, causing difficulty in even chewing or swallowing. Some tongue piercings can even cause swelling in the throat. A swollen tongue is also common in tongue piercings. Infections are very common in the genital area following body piercings or jewelry worn in them. If the jewelry used isn't nonreactive, high-quality metal, frequent infections may occur.
- Complications involving blood loss or excessive bleeding: Though a minute amount of blood is lost when the puncture is made, an injudiciously done piercing can cause excessive bleeding, which can give rise to serious health problems and complications. Complications are frequent in tongue piercing, with excessive bleeding from the tongue also leading to problems of the teeth and gingivitis. Jewelry used in tongue piercings may also cause further danger of tooth fractures, caused by the jewelry hitting against the teeth. People with tongue piercings who wear jewelry in their tongue usually develop the habit of repeated biting and tapping the jewelry against their teeth, which results in chipping away of the tooth enamel.
- Among the other health problems of body piercings, the most important is any allergic reaction caused by the metal used in jewelry. It is advisable to wear jewelry made of skin-safe metals.
Prevent these issues by maintaining proper hygiene and discerning choice of professional piercer and jewelry to avoid health problems and enjoy your piercings.
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