Are earrings vehicles of evil?

I've wanted my ears pierced since I was a little girl. I only got around to having them pierced as a teen. And boy did they create havoc and pain. Within a few years I stopped using them and they seemed to close up.

A year ago I decided to have them repierced (is that the term?) for my birthday. This time I was super careful. I researched the subject, and had them done by a professional with a sterile kit. I kept the cleaning regulations religiously.

I still ended up with ears that are not happy to have earrings.

Last month I decided to stop being a wimp and to accustom my ears to earrings. I used 14K gold studs. I thought I was making it.

Then I came down with a flu. I suspected the earrings.

Brushing my suspicions aside, last week I tried again. I thought everything was OK.

I developed strange bite marks on my back, which of course could not be related to the earrings. I stepped into my GP to have a look at the bites (because they were in a very strange location) and turns out I contracted shingles. I'm not in the age group of people who come done with shingles, which means I somehow have a weak immune system.

I really wonder if the earrings had anything to do with it (in any case they're out for now :-().