Hey Michelle!
As for what you can and cannot eat, stay away from dairy, spicy foods, and chocolate for the first 1-2 weeks. These products can cause your piercing to flare up a bit. Dont worry about eating soup, or any other liquid or mushy foods. The less you have to use your tongue, the better.
It will remain swollen and tender for up to a week, that is normal. A piercing is a wound to your body, so keep in mind that any wound will swell and be uncomfortable. To relieve the pain and swelling, you can take Ibuprofen. It will also help to suck on ice chips, and eat popsicles.
Do not play with your tongue ring, and do not click it on your teeth. Rubbing and clicking it on your teeth will wear down the enamel on your teeth and cause them to weaken. Do not change the jewelry for 6 weeks. This will give the piercing time to stabilize enough to change the jewelry with minimum irritation.
Wash it out with alcohol free mouthwash twice a day, and when you brush your teeth in the morning and before bed, GENTLY brush around the barbell on the top and bottom of your tongue. If you get a white film on your tongue, that is a sign you are overcleaning.
You may get a white gooey substance coming from the piercing. This is called lymph, it is your white blood cells trying to patch the hole. IT is your body's natural defense mechanism, and it is normal. Gently remove the substance with a Q-tip. You may also get an indent in your tongue. This is caused by your tongue swelling enough to where the top ball of the jewelry indents into your tongue. This is also normal and will go away with time.
Signs of infection include severe swelling, severe redness, and a yellow or green discharge that tastes and smells bad. If you develop any of these symptoms, see a doctor for antibiotics.
Good luck hun!
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