Symptoms of another illness after having a tattoo or body piercing
can include:
- A general feeling of tiredness, or lack of energy
(fatigue).
- A general feeling of illness
(malaise).
- Fever.
- Loss of
appetite.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Constant discomfort in
the upper right side of the abdomen.
- Dark amber
urine.
- Muscle aches or joint pain that lasts for a long time.
- Skin or white part
of the eye turning yellow (jaundice).
- Skin rash.
There is little chance for disease to spread with piercing or
tattooing when a sterile technique is used. Look at the tattoo or piercing
studio. Make sure it is clean. Find out what
safety procedures are used. Ask whether needles are
discarded after each tattooing.
The risk of spreading many potentially life-threatening diseases
through piercing or tattooing is increased when sterile technique is not used.
The most common diseases transmitted are
hepatitis B or
hepatitis C. Other diseases that can be spread from
piercing or tattooing include
tuberculosis,
syphilis,
HIV, or blood infections (sepsis).
