Dec 9th 2008 Tongue Piercing

Tongue Piercing has been around forever…or at least for such a long time that it feels like forever. The oldest recorded rituals of tongue piercing go back to the times of the Aztecs and the Mayans, where people would pierce their tongues as a way to draw blood as an offering to their gods. This may sound strange and neurotic, but blood offerings were common in those cultures.

Fast forward hundreds of years, and it is more popular than ever, although no longer for any type of offering. It has become an important part of fashion, especially among teenagers and people who like to wear a lot of piercings. Not only used as a means to express one’s style, people also pierce their tongue for “sexual enhancements.”

One of the most controversial piercings, there are many risks that can arise during and after the piercing. Some of the worst include brain abscesses, scar tissue, damaged nerves and the spread of deadly diseases. These have resulted in plenty of horror stories about tongue piercings that went wrong, and all of this has resulted in a lot of negative press. It is especially frowned upon by dentists, who have seen many clients coming in with chipped teeth and damaged gums. Accordingly, parents have come to dislike this piercing as well. They are exposed only to the headlines about piercings, which are generally quite negative.

In spite of all the controversy, and partly because of it, tongue piercings remain wildly popular, and have been for about the last 20 years. In contrast to the possible dangers, there are a number of reasons people decide to pierce their tongues. Not only is it done for style, people who have tongue piercings claim kissing and oral sex are significantly enhanced.

A pierced tongue may not have as many variations as certain other body piercings. The most common is a barbell that is pierced through a single hole in the center of the tongue. It is also possible to double pierce, venom pierce or multi-pierce one’s tongue, although this is quite rare. The actual piercing is always some type of barbell, with different variations in length, and is pierced through the tongue at a slight angle. There are different materials used to make these barbells, and the top end of the barbell can be changed easily, providing some sort of variety for tongue piercings.

No matter how you feel about tongue piercings, you can´t deny their prevalence in pop culture, and this is unlikely to change any time soon. Tongue Piercing Online was created to provide a site where each and every person can find everything they need to know about tongue piercings, without surfing through dozens of sites. We hope you find the information useful, and would welcome and questions or suggestions.

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Jul 25th 2008 Brain Abscess

What is a brain abscess?
A brain abscess is when bacteria from a local infection in your body spreads through the blood into your brain. Typical infections include middle ear infections, sinus infections, or dental infections. Once the infection spreads to your brain, it collects into a large amount of puss surrounded by the brain tissue. Without treatment, this can become fatal.

How did a tongue piercing cause a brain abscess?
In 2001, a 22 year old woman got her tongue pierced. A couple days later, the piercing became badly infected and so she removed the piercing. The tongue healed quickly, and for the next 4 weeks, she noticed no more problems.

After four weeks, the woman became very ill with headaches and nausea. She went to the doctor, and after various tests, they performed a brain scan. This revealed an abscess in her brain, and she was operated on to have it removed. The operation was successful, and within six weeks the patient was fully recovered.

There is another similar story about a girl from Ajax, Canada who also developed a serious brain abscess 10 months after a tongue piercing. The infection became so large that doctors had to remove a piece of her skull, to prevent damage to her brain.

In both cases, doctors are unsure of the exact cause of the brain abscesses in question. Through various tests and theories, they ruled out most causes, and found bacteria in the brain that is commonly found in the tongue. Therefore it appears most likely that the infection triggered by the tongue piercings are what led to the abscesses.

What does this mean?
There are a handful of cases where it appears as though brain abscesses can be linked to oral piercings. However, this does not mean that if you have an infection after piercing, there is a good chance you too will develop a brain abscess. They are extremely rare, and are something you should be aware about, but there is no need to start having nightmare about brain abscesses. The most important thing to remember is to go to a professional, experienced piercer, and religiously follow the aftercare instructions that you are given. This is IMPERATIVE to help prevent infection to your tongue. If you get an infection, be sure to visit your doctor in case you need to be prescribed antibiotics.

More tongue piercing information:

Tongue Piercing Home Page
Caring for your Tongue Piercing
Tongue Piercing Risks
Tongue Piercing Benefits
Types of Oral Piercings
Tongue Piercing Infections
Tongue Piercing Horror Stories

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