What's fashion got to do with it?
As the times see fashion taken to extreme lengths
people begin overlooking the potential hazards body jewelry can pose. Body
piercing has come a long way since little girls had their ears pierced as
part of tradition. We have seen men take on trend by wearing single ear
studs and before we knew it body jewelry was all the rage. As people got
more and more daring piercing began appearing on the most unlikely parts
of the body.
When performed under good hygiene conditions it is
harmless depending on whether it has been done right and of course which
part of the body it is situated. However oral piercing can be more
complicated and prone to problems. As is common knowledge our mouths are
full of billions of bacteria and a piercing done without 100% care can
lead to infections which have a tendency to swell up to uncomfortable
proportions disabling speech for some period of time in some cases.
In the case of an infection the swelling of the tongue
and the infection can spread along to the throat and neck, causing
discomfort and pain when swallowing and even breathing.
There are only a limited number of studies concerning
the issue of piercing which would indicate that it is not such a high
risk. However it is not an insignificant risk.
The complications can be serious and should be taken as
such.
The mouth containing germs that can get mixed into the
blood stream and travel to the heart is already an existing problem with
cardiac patients. Adding more complications heightens the problem and a
tongue piercing aids this along as it attracts bacteria like a magnet.
Individuals with heart problems should advisedly steer well clear of oral
piercing.
In fact in America 'The National Institute of Health'
has declared that piercing can increase the risk of hepatitis B, C, D and
HIV.
The stud in the mouth can cause erosion of the tooth
enamel over time with constant inevitable contact. Depending on the size
of the stud it can cause chipping of the tooth. Reportedly majority of
individuals with tongue piercing experience sensitivity of the teeth, which
would have been caused by the small exposures of the enamel from chips and
erosion.
In the worse case scenario whilst piercing the tongue,
one of many nerves on the tongue could be cut. This would mean partial or
complete loss of the taste senses, which are located on the tongue.
Not surprising to note that there are further risks.
For example if the stud the tongue is pierced with is removed too early
and replaced by a 'fashionable' one then the hole can heal up with the
stud embedded in it. This would require serious surgery to remove the
stud.
In order for the tongue to heal properly the temporary
stud should be approximately 18mm in length, which is around 5mm thicker
than the tongue. The whole purpose is to ensure the stud does not get
embedded in the obviously swollen tongue whilst healing.
These are all possibilities, it may be that majority of
piercing do go well but you would be surprised how many of them go
terribly wrong. Don't be a fashion victim!
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