Ow. My ear!
April 25, 2017 7:06 AM Subscribe
My left earlobe has had a state of troubles lately. It's been wrecked by an allergic reaction, then a fungal infection, and now my earring back has embedded itself into the lower piercing on my lobe. What can I do until the doctor can see me?
I saw a plastic surgeon in August to have my left earlobe repaired after my very old piercing separated from the lobe, splitting it. That healed OK, so I had the ear re-pierced by the surgeon in October. It's never quite healed right.
After that, it's been an adventure, to put it mildly. Firstly, I had allergy testing done at my dermatologist's office, and discovered reactions to many of my cleaning products, and a colbalt allergy. Okay, great. I changed shampoos. My earrings were sterling silver, so we were good there, right?
Not quite. My skin cleared dramatically, but my earlobes kept persistently scaling and flaking. Last week, the dermatologist finally decided it was a fungal reaction and prescribed me some antifungals. It seems to have worked, and now my ears are about 75-80% less itchy and scaly, but it's not completely gone. I also replaced the earrings with 14k gold studs.
Anyway, this morning, I woke up to find that my earring back had been fairly embedded into my earlobe. I wedged it out with a minimum of bleeding, after I called my GP and was told that "they don't handle that sort of situation" there. The doc advised me to go to Urgent Care, but my insurance's Urgent Care is booked solid already today.
What can I do to take care of my ear until I can get in to see a doctor?
I saw a plastic surgeon in August to have my left earlobe repaired after my very old piercing separated from the lobe, splitting it. That healed OK, so I had the ear re-pierced by the surgeon in October. It's never quite healed right.
After that, it's been an adventure, to put it mildly. Firstly, I had allergy testing done at my dermatologist's office, and discovered reactions to many of my cleaning products, and a colbalt allergy. Okay, great. I changed shampoos. My earrings were sterling silver, so we were good there, right?
Not quite. My skin cleared dramatically, but my earlobes kept persistently scaling and flaking. Last week, the dermatologist finally decided it was a fungal reaction and prescribed me some antifungals. It seems to have worked, and now my ears are about 75-80% less itchy and scaly, but it's not completely gone. I also replaced the earrings with 14k gold studs.
Anyway, this morning, I woke up to find that my earring back had been fairly embedded into my earlobe. I wedged it out with a minimum of bleeding, after I called my GP and was told that "they don't handle that sort of situation" there. The doc advised me to go to Urgent Care, but my insurance's Urgent Care is booked solid already today.
What can I do to take care of my ear until I can get in to see a doctor?
IANAD, but if you don't feel that it's a legit emergency, salt water soaks every couple of hours (1/4 tsp salt to 1C warm water) are generally recommended for healing actual piercings, and when I went to the UC for an infected piercing, they basically said "why didn't you try salt water soaks before coming in. You can fill a small bowl with warm water/salt, put it on a counter and lean your head over so your ear goes in. Soak for up to five minutes a go.
Salt water tends to help your ear stop swelling, which can make some of the other problems go away. If you really feel like the gold is helping (it's all my fussy ears can handle, generally - gold or titanium), then soaking it and waiting a few hours might clarify matters.
posted by Frowner at 7:16 AM on April 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
Salt water tends to help your ear stop swelling, which can make some of the other problems go away. If you really feel like the gold is helping (it's all my fussy ears can handle, generally - gold or titanium), then soaking it and waiting a few hours might clarify matters.
posted by Frowner at 7:16 AM on April 25, 2017 [4 favorites]
I have supersensitive ears. Seconding the salt water. As long as you're not bleeding profusely and you don't have a fever you'll be fine.
I can't wear 14k gold earrings, but 18k gold works. The little backer things to keep studs in place always irritate my ears so I haven't worn studs in decades. I can usually wear sterling silver but some earrings that claim to be sterling maybe weren't. So-called hypo-allergenic don't work for me.
Maybe you need to give your ears a rest for a few weeks.
posted by mareli at 7:27 AM on April 25, 2017
I can't wear 14k gold earrings, but 18k gold works. The little backer things to keep studs in place always irritate my ears so I haven't worn studs in decades. I can usually wear sterling silver but some earrings that claim to be sterling maybe weren't. So-called hypo-allergenic don't work for me.
Maybe you need to give your ears a rest for a few weeks.
posted by mareli at 7:27 AM on April 25, 2017
I would daub a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide on the affected area once or twice an hour and see if that helps with any of the inflammation and pain. It's my go to interim solution for a lot of ailments, as is salt water (though IME salt water hurts more but YMMV). I am so sorry you've had such a prolonged issue with your ears. Hope you get some relief soon.
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:01 AM on April 25, 2017
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:01 AM on April 25, 2017
Your earlobe is telling you loud and clear not to put an earring in it.
posted by zadcat at 8:07 AM on April 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
posted by zadcat at 8:07 AM on April 25, 2017 [18 favorites]
>"they don't handle that sort of situation"
I really wonder (in unkind directions) about these doctors who don't want to touch people...
Anyway, this is something I personally would pay to have someone deal with. Those tissues in the ear are weak, especially after a surgery. And some people are just prone to issues there. You don't want to deal with a massive infection.
And second zadcat.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:14 AM on April 25, 2017
I really wonder (in unkind directions) about these doctors who don't want to touch people...
Anyway, this is something I personally would pay to have someone deal with. Those tissues in the ear are weak, especially after a surgery. And some people are just prone to issues there. You don't want to deal with a massive infection.
And second zadcat.
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:14 AM on April 25, 2017
Stick with salt water. Hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol damage healthy tissue and shouldn't be used when you already have skin compromise. Salt water is the gold standard for piercing care, especially for new piercings. I'd treat at home for a day or two until you can see the surgeon who has been treating the lobe and who did the new piercing.
posted by quince at 8:18 AM on April 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by quince at 8:18 AM on April 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
Hydrogen peroxide and salt are both pretty irritating and drying. I'm not a doctor, just a person with sensitive earlobes, and I'd hesitate to do either more than two or three times a day unless under medical advice.
Lastly, when you've seen a doctor and healed up, you might consider trying earrings with flat backs instead of butterflies, once you've determined (a) if you can wear earrings, and (b) which metals. I have a nickel sensitivity and had miserable earlobes with everything but titanium or silicone (stretched lobes!) for ages, but I've managed to wear sterling silver and 14k gold 'comfortable' earrings now because the sleep/phone/etc physical irritation isn't happening too. (I mention this for the future, obviously not for your current situation!)
posted by carbide at 8:23 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lastly, when you've seen a doctor and healed up, you might consider trying earrings with flat backs instead of butterflies, once you've determined (a) if you can wear earrings, and (b) which metals. I have a nickel sensitivity and had miserable earlobes with everything but titanium or silicone (stretched lobes!) for ages, but I've managed to wear sterling silver and 14k gold 'comfortable' earrings now because the sleep/phone/etc physical irritation isn't happening too. (I mention this for the future, obviously not for your current situation!)
posted by carbide at 8:23 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would daub a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide
IANAD, but I would definitely skip the hydrogen peroxide. I know the common wisdom used to be to put this on cuts and whatnot to disinfect, but that's fallen out of favor due to the tissue damage it causes (as quince noted above). I've used salt water gargling for sore throats and the like, but never tried it for this kind of thing. If you decide to do that, definitely start with a very dilute solution, and ideally check with a medical professional before doing so.
In general for at home wound care like this, I would make sure to flush the wound with plenty of water a couple times a day. Using ice on the area might help with pain and swelling/inflammation. Just make sure you have a cloth or towel in between the ice and your ear and don't use it for too long at once.
Is there a nurse's line you can call to ask for instructions to keep the area clean/infection free until you get in to a doctor? You can check with them about salt water soaking and ice and also maybe see if they think you should use antibiotic ointment.
Also seconding that it's really weird for your GP to say they don't handle that kind of situation.* If you aren't able to talk to a nurse's line through your insurance, maybe call the plastic surgeon's office to see if they're willing to give you any kind of guidance about how to handle this.
*If your location in your profile is still accurate and you ever decide you'd like to find another GP, memail me. I might be able to recommend someone local, although this would depend on insurance, of course.
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:34 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
IANAD, but I would definitely skip the hydrogen peroxide. I know the common wisdom used to be to put this on cuts and whatnot to disinfect, but that's fallen out of favor due to the tissue damage it causes (as quince noted above). I've used salt water gargling for sore throats and the like, but never tried it for this kind of thing. If you decide to do that, definitely start with a very dilute solution, and ideally check with a medical professional before doing so.
In general for at home wound care like this, I would make sure to flush the wound with plenty of water a couple times a day. Using ice on the area might help with pain and swelling/inflammation. Just make sure you have a cloth or towel in between the ice and your ear and don't use it for too long at once.
Is there a nurse's line you can call to ask for instructions to keep the area clean/infection free until you get in to a doctor? You can check with them about salt water soaking and ice and also maybe see if they think you should use antibiotic ointment.
Also seconding that it's really weird for your GP to say they don't handle that kind of situation.* If you aren't able to talk to a nurse's line through your insurance, maybe call the plastic surgeon's office to see if they're willing to give you any kind of guidance about how to handle this.
*If your location in your profile is still accurate and you ever decide you'd like to find another GP, memail me. I might be able to recommend someone local, although this would depend on insurance, of course.
posted by litera scripta manet at 8:34 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you were able to fish the backing out of your earlobe then you have two goals: a) keep it from re-embedding and b) avoid infection. First the first issue, get some hoops. For preventing infection, I would do the salt water and also apply some Polysporin.
If it is infected or becomes infected, I guess you'll need antibiotics. I don't understand why your clinic would say they don't handle this kind of issue....???? Maybe they thought you needed them to remove the backing.
(This actually happened to my daughter this weekend. Also to the ear that has always seemed very unhappy about being pierced. The doctor got it out with some freezing and some tweezers. If someone knows how/why this happens, I'd love to hear about that. It was unpleasant. He prescribed bactine (antibiotic cream) and an antibiotic, as it was clearly quite infected. The earring had to come out and the hole will grow over, but so be it.)
posted by kitcat at 12:11 PM on April 25, 2017
If it is infected or becomes infected, I guess you'll need antibiotics. I don't understand why your clinic would say they don't handle this kind of issue....???? Maybe they thought you needed them to remove the backing.
(This actually happened to my daughter this weekend. Also to the ear that has always seemed very unhappy about being pierced. The doctor got it out with some freezing and some tweezers. If someone knows how/why this happens, I'd love to hear about that. It was unpleasant. He prescribed bactine (antibiotic cream) and an antibiotic, as it was clearly quite infected. The earring had to come out and the hole will grow over, but so be it.)
posted by kitcat at 12:11 PM on April 25, 2017
I would try the salt water first. And then I would stop wearing earrings. No amount of fashion is worth losing an ear lobe over.
posted by Jubey at 1:41 PM on April 25, 2017
posted by Jubey at 1:41 PM on April 25, 2017
I agree with salt water soaks but as a data point, warm compresses with or without salt are the go to remedy to draw out local infections. I was in my thirties before I learned that, and I learned it from my GP when an old earlobe piercing became infected.
posted by janey47 at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by janey47 at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
"they don't handle that sort of situation" there.
A tip from a doctor about this phrase - it likely means one of two things.
1. Your doctor/group of doctors hates doing procedures, even very minor ones. Therefore if they hear about something that might require a stitch, or a drainage, or anything that involves tools, they defer you to urgent care. It's not that they don't like to touch people. Some folks just really hate procedures. I personally wouldn't want a primary care doctor like that, but non-procedural docs are stereotypically more cerebral and more touchy feely, so they might have their good points, too. A physician from an older generation is unlikely to shy from procedures as GPs used to even do straightforward surgeries in parts of the country with less access to specialty care.
2. You're not speaking to a clinician. If you were speaking to a receptionist or a medical assistant, they may have entirely misunderstood the situation, or overreacted to it. Although many medical offices try to ensure that advice about where to go for care is given by at least a nurse, not all offices adhere to this practice, and that can result in things getting up triaged (for example, some receptionists will tell any person with chest pain to go to the ER, whereas other primary care offices will attempt some degree of risk stratification before panicking). If you think this might have been the case for you, you could call back and ask to speak to a nurse or a physician to advise you on the course of action.
Although this advice may not help with your earlobe today, it is just general advice about interacting with the healthcare system since many people are commenting on this aspect of your post.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:02 PM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
A tip from a doctor about this phrase - it likely means one of two things.
1. Your doctor/group of doctors hates doing procedures, even very minor ones. Therefore if they hear about something that might require a stitch, or a drainage, or anything that involves tools, they defer you to urgent care. It's not that they don't like to touch people. Some folks just really hate procedures. I personally wouldn't want a primary care doctor like that, but non-procedural docs are stereotypically more cerebral and more touchy feely, so they might have their good points, too. A physician from an older generation is unlikely to shy from procedures as GPs used to even do straightforward surgeries in parts of the country with less access to specialty care.
2. You're not speaking to a clinician. If you were speaking to a receptionist or a medical assistant, they may have entirely misunderstood the situation, or overreacted to it. Although many medical offices try to ensure that advice about where to go for care is given by at least a nurse, not all offices adhere to this practice, and that can result in things getting up triaged (for example, some receptionists will tell any person with chest pain to go to the ER, whereas other primary care offices will attempt some degree of risk stratification before panicking). If you think this might have been the case for you, you could call back and ask to speak to a nurse or a physician to advise you on the course of action.
Although this advice may not help with your earlobe today, it is just general advice about interacting with the healthcare system since many people are commenting on this aspect of your post.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:02 PM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I managed to speak to an urgent care nurse over the phone, and went in for an evaluation yesterday. It appears my ear is not infected -- but the fungus issue I've been dealing with is still being all fungus-y. So I've got a fancy anti-fungal shampoo to use, and am doing the salt water soaks twice a day for the next week. If it starts getting oozy, painful, or I show signs of a fever, I'm to go right back to urgent care and get myself a prescription for antibiotics.
I have a second earlobe piercing in that ear, which is doing just fine, plus two in the other earlobe, and three in my cartilage, all currently unaffected (but most of them are older piercings). This lower earlobe piercing is just being particularly fussy.
Also, treehorn+bunny, I appreciate your perspective on the weirdness from my GP. I suspect it's probably a case of 1). My doctor is the sole doctor at her office, and I think it's getting too large for her to handle alone. I haven't been able to see her for anything requiring a same-day appointment in almost three years. The last thing I think I did at her office directly was see the nurse practitioner for a few insurance-mandated referrals to specialists. I think it's just time to suck it up and find a new primary care doctor.
posted by PearlRose at 9:51 AM on April 27, 2017
I have a second earlobe piercing in that ear, which is doing just fine, plus two in the other earlobe, and three in my cartilage, all currently unaffected (but most of them are older piercings). This lower earlobe piercing is just being particularly fussy.
Also, treehorn+bunny, I appreciate your perspective on the weirdness from my GP. I suspect it's probably a case of 1). My doctor is the sole doctor at her office, and I think it's getting too large for her to handle alone. I haven't been able to see her for anything requiring a same-day appointment in almost three years. The last thing I think I did at her office directly was see the nurse practitioner for a few insurance-mandated referrals to specialists. I think it's just time to suck it up and find a new primary care doctor.
posted by PearlRose at 9:51 AM on April 27, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:08 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]