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tounge peircing health risks
I'm getting my tounge pierced on Saturday . Are there any health related issues I should worry about?
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Yes there are always risk when getting something pierced... But you do have some pretty big ones with your tongue..
I have my tongue pierced... I am not going to lie it hurts, but the healing period hurts more than the actual piercing.
Of all the body peircings you can get your tongue has some of the biggest risk. Your mouth is warm and wet, this is a great place for bacteria to form and bacteria and piercings do not get along. If you get an infection for not properly taking care of your piercing the infection can get into your blood stream and make you very ill, the infection in your blood can kill you if you cant or dont treat it.
You can also have nerve damage that can cause numbness (a small part on the very tip of my tongue has been numb since the moment I got the piercing and I will never feel that part of my tongue again it doesnt bother me much though because it is just a tiny part on the tip of my tongue) loss of taste, impaired speach, and restricted movement.
Now when you first get it done your tongue is going to swell, and it will be hard to move your tongue (because you are afraid to hurt it) and it will be hard to talk thats normal. To help with swelling take an anti-inflammatory and suck on ice chips. Trys me it helps.
You also have the risk of chipping or breaking your teeth on the metal. My advice when its time to change the ring get metal barbells but plastic or acryllic balls (the plastic barbells dont last long for me)
Before you go in to have the piercing dont make sure your teeth are clean, and also for help on pain (God I wish I knew this little trick before I went in haha) put a little oragel on your tongue to help numb it.
After you get your peircing you need to keep it clean. Evey time you eat, drink, smoke, use the bathroom, or pretty much do anything, wash your mouth. Use salt water to clean your mouth. here is what I did
I got bottled water and Non-Iodized Sea Salt. The more salt the better. I poured a lot of sea salt in my bottled water and then I shook the bottle to mix it. Then I would carry my bottle around with me along with an empty bottle (I know it sounds gross and unattractive but hey you are keeping your tongue clean, the empty bottle is to spit the salt water into after you rinse your mouth) Use the salt water mix like you would a mouth wash, swissh it in your mouth for about a minute and then spit (do not swallow salt water it can dehydrate you)
Then every time you eat anything brush your teeth as well. I would brush my teeth like normal and then I was super easy and careful brushing my tongue. And when you are finished instead of mouth wash use saltwater.
Helpful tip on eating. This is going to sound weird but trust me you are going to have to learn how to eat with the pain or go hungry haha.. When you eat slowly open your mouth and (make sure your hands are clean) take a small bit of food with your fingers (yes we are toddlers again ) and push it to the back of your mouth on one of the sides and slowly very slowly chew. Swallowing will be hard at first too because you are not use to having the tongue ring there and it feels like its food as well. But remember slow slow slow... Also jello and pudding are ging to be your best friend for the first couple of days. They are easy to eat you dont have to chew (jello just desolves) and you dont have to worry about hurting your tongue.. also be careful not to bite your ring that hurts bad when you first get it done (I do it now every once in a while but it just feels weird it doesnt hurt)
My tongue healed faster than normal (took 2 weeks unstead of 4 to 6) because I was constantly cleaning and brushing and I was careful with it...
Also remember not to talk too much (you can talk but not constant conversations all the time) your tongue is a muscle and you are exercising it when you talk and too much of that will make it hurt more (I am super talkative and I regreted talking too much the next day after my piercing)
Stay away from spicy foods. My piercer said it would heal it faster but it would hurt so bad.
good luck with the new piercing and remember clean it obsessivly you dont want an infection
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