My ear has been red, bumpy, hot, itchy, and swollen HELP PLEASE!!!

[Sunflowerpower1237]

My ear has been red, bumpy, itchy, hot, and swollen for 2-4 days and i do have my ears pierced but they got pierced 3-4 years ago please help.

[shaws Administrator]

You should see your GP as you may need an antibiotic if you have an infection. I'm sorry you have been worried the past few days.

[Camillionbux]

Hi there, I had this same issue, it starts on my ears, then gradually moved to my scalp, and fingers, and all over my body, it moved around, these red, itchy bumps.. For almost 18months. At first, I had no idea what it was, and then my allergist helped me realize that since I had recently undergone an allergic reaction to PPD, (a chemical banned in many countries that is found in heavy quantities drugstore hairdye,) that since I already had an auto-immune disorder, my body could become "cross-sensitized"  to other things/allergens, and these allergens would keep attacking and wouldn't let up until I cleared myself of the allergen. So after a long, hard, and incredibly itchy journey, I finally stopped using hair dyes containing PPD, Paraphenylminediamine, stopped usining anything with PABA, or Paraben, (mainly SPF's and lotions) and also found that anything with Sulfites in it, would trigger the rash. (This could be shampoo, lotion, or dried fruits, escargot, etc.) so I switched to sulfite free and PABA free everything.. And ultimately discovered that anytime I would eat anything like bread, pasta, etc. I would get wheezing, and the bumps would reappear, and start itching. So I cut out all gluten, and viola! It all cleared up and went away. Now, if I fall off the wagon, or accidentally get exposed to these allergens, the bumps will come back. But always first on my ear. I have been a wine-buyer for almost 10 years, and I can tell right away when/if I have consumed a wine that has a high level of added Sulfites, because my ear will light up, become uber red and itchy, and I have the same symptoms all over again. The Sulfite allergy is much worse in foods, especially those that are hit with Sulfites just before packaging like Sauerkraut, "canned" escargot, dried apricots, trail mix, etc. The real culprit I have found overall is gluten. I don't believe it is actually gluten itself, but what has been done to our food strain/ie: genetically modified wheat.. There is some research you can do on the pesticides that have been used on wheat in our country, as well as the wheat strain that was created to swell the bellies of bugs intestinal/digestive systems until they burst/crack when they eat the wheat. The creators of this super-strain believed it wouldn't affect humans, just pests.. And that is the theory of why we have so much gluten intolerance in the US. Because we as humans are not "technically" allergic to gluten.. We are allergic to the poison that is now found in our gluten, and those of us with "auto-immune" disorders are more easily succeptable to its wrath. One day, hopefully.. All of this will come to light, and there will be an answer/cure for all of the chrones disease, leaky-gut, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. Anyway, don't think it's not you, or not the case.. Do some research, and pay attention to when it worsens, spreads, etc. 

[Rosy_Holly in reply to Camillionbux]

Thank you.   Very helpful reply.   

[guysgrams in reply to Camillionbux]

Thanks so much for shedding some light on this.  I too started having sever reactions to who knows what last Summer.  Been trying to figure out what it was and will certainly have to investigate further.

[Clutter]

Swollenflowerpower1237,

If the swelling and irritation is around the piercing you may have a little infection.  Bathe the lobe with warm slightly salted water every few hours and see a pharmacist for advice tomorrow.

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I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[humanbean]

You may have developed a nickel allergy, which is one of the commonest causes of contact dermatitis there is.

I had my ears pierced when I was 16 and was able to wear earrings for a few years. But then I developed an allergy. I stopped wearing anything cheap. I bought only gold. I still had problems. In the end I bought the purest gold earrings I could find (18-carat I think), and despite this my ears still itched enough to drive me insane. If I kept earrings in for more than about 5 minutes my ears got severely infected.

I did read that some earrings are now sold which are guaranteed nickel-free. I've never tried them, but perhaps they may be worth investigating?

Edit : I've just looked - there are lots of nickel-free jewellery types available on the web these days. Might be worth a try?

[suesku12]

possible allergy to metal?