Are Tongue Piercings Bad For You?
Short answer
Tongue piercings are one of the most dangerous types of piercings and can cause many negative health consequences.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Tongue piercings are a popular body adornment especially common among the teenage and young adult demographic. Tongue piercings are not always bad for you, but they are one of the most dangerous forms of piercings and carry definite health risks.
Bacterial infection is the main health risk of tongue piercings because mouths are filled with harmful bacteria. Your mouth is a warm, moist area that is perfect for bacteria to grow and, when you pierce your tongue, you create a wound inside your mouth that encourages bacterial growth. If bacteria colonizes the wound around your tongue piercing, you can develop a painful infection. This infection can spread to your bloodstream and travel throughout your entire body, causing extreme sickness and even death.
Nerve damage is another risk of tongue piercings. The tongue is filled with important nerves and when piercing a tongue, it takes a lot of skill, practice, and precision to avoid hitting one of those nerves when impaling the tongue with a needle. If the person who pierces your tongue does end up accidentally hitting a nerve, you can be stuck with permanent nerve damage that results in numbness and partial to complete loss of taste. If you do choose to get your tongue pierced, be sure to go to a reputable place that only hires experienced, skilled piercers who know exactly where the piercing should be placed.
Tongue piercings may be pretty and interesting, but they can also be extremely dangerous and are generally not worth the risk of the negative health consequences they may cause.
Possible long-term side effects
- numbness
-
loss of taste
-
bacterial infection
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Written by Shaylie F
Published on: 12-27-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by Shaylie F
Published on: 12-27-2015
Last updated: 12-10-2016
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