Pierced Tongue Cause of Brain Abscesses?
October 15, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Medicine
I’m afraid I have to admit, I am not a fan of pierced tongues. I think that they cause a lot of problems, such as broken teeth and I can’t say I see the point. But, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong, just not for me. The thing is though, if people do things to their body 
that can cause harm in the long run, then I do become interested because I strongly believe that we need to take care of our body as much as we can.
Ok, so what’s this about? It’s about a news story I just read about a 22-year-old man who had his tongue pierced and then a few weeks later, died of brain abscesses that the doctors believe were caused by the piercing.
The man developed an infection and then brain abscesses and multi-organ failure (more than one body organ failing at the same time). However, the doctors couldn’t find any reason why he would have had an infection. Their only possibility was the tongue piercing that he had a while earlier.
Oral piercings tend to have a higher rate of infection because of the location, so this idea isn’t all that radical. Other doctors have reported heart problems after oral piercings and other brain abscesses have been reported. One as early as 2003. This was written up in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
What do you think? Do you have a tongue piercing? Did you?
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Image: PhotoXpress.com
I’m not surprised if a tongue piercing can cause an infection which in turn can kill you. It is easy to get an infection since it is in your mouth. But also, the tongue is full with vains and vessels. Anything infectuous can go straight into your blood system.
I wish someone could tell me what is so great about a tongue piercing?