[loveofmusic1991]

ohkay; so I just got my tongue pierced yesterday and the barbell is huge! I can't eat much because the chewing is so painful. And the excessive salavia is disturbing. Any suggestions on what to do?

[ashleyl]

It really helps if you gargle with warm water and sea salt. It will be painful and swollen for about a week. After that week you should be able to switch to a smaller ball and shorter base. They put the long one in initially to allow room for the tongue to swell. Just give it a little time and it will go back to normal.

[nauticalstar420]

The barbell is huge for a reason hun -- it needs to be big to allow room for swelling. You need to leave that barbell in for 6 weeks.

As far as how much swelling there is, that is completely normal. Everyone that gets their tongue pierced has to go through that swelling. You can take Ibuprofen for pain and/or swelling. It definitely helps a lot. You can also suck on ice and popsicles (not ice cream!) and this will help with the swelling as well. As far as food, do not eat spicy foods, chocolate or dairy. These foods will cause a flare up. Try and stick to soft foods and soups for the first 3 days.

The swelling does not usually last any longer than a week, and for most people its actually gone in 3-4 days. Just bear with it. :)