Tragus piercing for ages is known for calming down your anxiety and giving you relief from anxiety-related headaches and problems. Many people believe that tragus piercing helps with anxiety, but no proper evidence for the same is available in research. Many researchers did extensively study the way a tragus helps with anxiety and what mechanisms it follows to give relief.
Let’s first start by understanding anxiety.
The meaning of anxiety in everyday life is often restricted to having a tensed stomach and high breathing while the psychological meaning has much more to it. Anxiety in psychological terms refers to a feeling of tension. It induces high blood pressure, worried thoughts, inability to breathe, nausea, and can make the person feel lethargic. It pushes the individual into a fight or flight situation which is quite hard for them to overcome.
The everyday meaning of anxiety refers to it as a feeling but according to psychology, it’s an emotion that is common to any organism. You may be wondering what’s the difference between feelings and emotions. Well, emotions are activated by bodily reactions to external situations and are induced by neurotransmitters like Epinephrine, while feelings refer to the cognitive perception of these emotions.
Certain neurotransmitters that help with reducing anxiety include Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is produced in the brain and is also found in some food items which acts as an inhibitor of anxiety. Its main job is to lower bodily reactions by controlling heart rate. It works by blocking signals that reach the brain.
Tragus Piercing and Anxiety.
Tragus refers to the small protruding end at the inner part of our ear and is completely made of cartilage. This particular end lies adjoined to your skin, near your concha forming a mountain-shaped surface. It is quite firm. The tragus is nearer to your ear lobe and lies just above it. You can feel it with your hands.
Many people pierce their ears. Piercing near the ear are of different types like the common Ear lobe piercing, Industrial piercing, Helix piercing, Tragus piercing, Anti-tragus piercing, and Daith Piercing. Over here we will be talking about the tragus piercing in much more detail and some of its benefits.
Tragus piercing
Tragus piercing is the piercing of the protruding triangular piece from your ear. This type of piercing is quite common today due to various trends and due to its health benefits. The main reason people associate tragus piercing with reducing anxiety is due to the placement of the piercing which matches with acupuncture areas that help relieve stress and lower your blood pressure.
Various acupuncture points help with anxiety relief. The heavenly gate point situated near the ear is one such point that helps with anxiety relief. This point is situated near the shell of your ear and the areas surrounding it, help with reducing anxiety. Other pressure points near the ear that work well for reducing headaches, migraines, etc are the daith point which is C-shaped inner ear cartilage, tragus point, windscreen, and ear apex.
In acupuncture needles are used to activate certain points. A tragus piercing may act the same way and activate release points for many individuals. Acupuncturists strongly believe that we can stimulate nerve endings and realign them which can help in reducing tension and anxieties. This principle is related to the vagus nerve located at the end of our brain stem which is directly connected to the parasympathetic system and helps in calming the heart, lungs, and digestive tract whenever the person feels stressed.
The vagus nerve is known for reducing anxiety because it is part of the parasympathetic system that works on reducing the flight and fight response of the body and bringing the body back to its normal state. The polyvagal theory states the importance of the vagus nerve and we do suggest you look into it once.
The tragus piercings target the vagus nerve and thus helps in reducing anxiety by calming down the body during flight or fight response. The vagus nerve is quite long and it branches into several parts and covers the outer ear and also branches out near the tragus and daith areas. Thus placing piercings in these areas can help stimulate your vagus nerve and reduce anxiety.
There is no strong evidence to prove whether a tragus or daith piercing helps reduce anxiety but the polyvagal theory and acupuncture practices do help us understand that the piercings work.
Certain pros of getting a tragus piercing include-
They look quite good.
You can always switch up your piercings between studs and hoops.
Help in reducing migraines and headaches.
They are the least painful piercings to have due to lesser nerve endings in the tragus area.
It’s quite easy and quick to get it.
A tragus piercing will cost you $ 25-50 which is quite cheap.
Anxiety has been a wholesome term that cannot be cured or reduced by one technique. There are various other ways we can reduce anxiety other than piercing.
Some other ways you can employ to reduce anxiety other than piercing are-
Exercise- Regular exercise helps release stored trauma and stress, thus promoting better health. Exercise releases endorphins, which is a pleasure hormone released during sex and cannabis. It is a brain chemical and gives a high.
Relaxation Techniques- There are many relaxation techniques like –
Breathing exercises that are stomach-focused.
Creative Imagination focuses on imagining a life you aspire for and sit with that image for 10 to 15 minutes.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation like heartfulness guided relaxation, mindfulness guided relaxation, etc.
Yoga like the SKY-Sudarshan Kriya Yoga has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and help with post-traumatic stress disorders.
Anxiety has been a complex term and emotion needs to be dealt with effectively. You may opt for a piercing or try the above-mentioned techniques to reduce anxiety. Do consult a therapist or psychologist if needed and always keep your mental health first.
Does the piercing hurt a lot?
Ans. A tragus piercing is located at the mountain-shaped arch of our ear which is completely made of cartilage and doesn’t contain nerve endings. Thus, this piercing is considered to be the least painful of all.
How much does it cost?
Ans. A tragus piercing costs appropriately
$ 25 to $ 30 in the United States.
How to take care of a piercing?
Ans. Always wash your hands before touching the pierced area. Do not remove the earring for at least six weeks.
