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Infected Belly Button Peircing

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Health & Wellbeing
Right i've had this peircing for like 3 years and its been fine for like 2, but yesterday i got home from work and there was puss coming out of it so a) what do i do to help it heal and b) what the hell happened?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    First and foremost, what colour is the 'puss'?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yellow
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Granted if the infection isn't terribly infected, the best advice I ever got was heat. Heat a washcloth until its hot enough for you to just stand. Put it in a baggie or something to protect the area from anything that may have been in the washcloth or microwave or water. Put it on for 10-15 minutes (reheating when necessary) 3 times a day. NO LESS! For 1 week.

    But thats really only for an irratation/slight infection. For much more I'd either go to your piercer to reccomend something else, or even taking it out, or your doctor for some cream/pills if it is bad.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeah i would definately not say its a particularly bad infection, not really painful just a bit uncomfortable and a wee bit minging.

    I'll definately give the heat a try, i reckon it might just be that i've caught the peircing on something and irritated it
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Make sure your clothes aren't catching on it, my school uniform used to rub my belly button and it made it infected
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I always found my piercer to be better with infected piercings than my doctor as well - the doctor's catch all answer was 'well, take it out'.

    Check that nothing has gotten into the piercing as well - mine got infected about 4 years after I had it done and it was because a tiny piece of gravel had got in (no idea how!) and was causing irritation.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, yellow is the sign of a mild infection; if it was green, then I'd start to think seriously about getting it treated.

    But, for now, it's back to the salt water soaks. Boiled water (as hot as you can stand) in a mug with 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt, for 10 minutes or until the water has cooled.

    In a couple of weeks you should start to see a difference.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for the help, i was gonna do the salt water but couldn't remember what amount of salt to use
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sa-ra-ra-ra wrote: »
    I always found my piercer to be better with infected piercings than my doctor as well - the doctor's catch all answer was 'well, take it out'.

    Check that nothing has gotten into the piercing as well - mine got infected about 4 years after I had it done and it was because a tiny piece of gravel had got in (no idea how!) and was causing irritation.

    I read that alot on here but in the past I've gone to 3 different docs with 3 (I had a problem with the metal but never put 2+2 together :p) different infected piercings, both of which really should have been taken out, but they both gave me antibiotic cream to treat it and told to come back in 2 weeks to see if it needed something more and never suggested taking it out as the first option. (Though that really explains the high cases of MRSA!)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If there is pus in belly button infection and it has not yet drained, try using hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide will assist in draining the pus and clearing the infection. Only use hydrogen peroxide for these reasons, do not use it after the infection is gone.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .

    didn't notice the date- sorry!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    doubt its an issue anymore guys! Remington, this is a dead thread- waaaay old! best to start a new one for questions/queries and check the date when posting on threads :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah it isn't infected anymore, although by now i would have taken it out, died of sepsis or sorted it.
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