Earlobe Rash and Swelling

4 days ago I went and got my ear pierced. My ears tingled and itched, I assumed it was natural, however the next day my earlobes started swelling and was still itchy. I scratched the area around my earings and the areas that I scratched turned red with little bumps, like a rash, on the 3rd day. That night I took out my earings. The rash is still there and my earlobes are still swollen. I had 14 karat gold earings on, would this be an allergic reaction?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be an allergic reaction to the earrings or contact dermatitis while getting the ears pierced. Take some antihistaminic like Benadryl or Claritin and apply some calamine lotion on the earlobes. Also apply some topical antiseptics and keep the area clean. If the symptoms persist then topical and oral antibiotics may be needed for which I suggest you to consult a dermatologist. If there is any redness, warmth or pain then infection has to be ruled out.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.