Itchy Belly Button? Here's What Your Body's Trying to Tell You
An itchy belly button can have a variety of causes. Most aren't serious and can be managed at home or with a visit to a dermatologist.
Contact your doctor if you are pregnant. An itchy belly button can have a number of causes specific to pregnancy, ranging from dry skin to skin stretching. In rarer cases, it may be due to a more serious condition.
Contact dermatitis is a red, itchy rash that develops after skin has been exposed to an irritant. Irritants that can cause contact dermatitis include soaps and other personal-care products, laundry detergents, and plants like poison ivy and poison oak, according to Cleveland Clinic.
When it comes to belly button itching, nickel on clothing or jewelry is the most common irritant. "Pant buttons are usually made out of nickel, which can create a round rash where it touches the skin," says Jennifer Gordon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with Westlake Dermatology in Austin, Texas. "The irritation can also occur above or below the belly button — anywhere a pant button or a belt buckle usually sits."
Start by identifying what might be causing the rash, and avoid contact with your skin to prevent further irritation. Over-the-counter medications like anti-itch creams, corticosteroid creams, and topical or oral antihistamines can help relieve itching and swelling.
Eczema is a skin condition that causes red, itchy patches and swelling. It is due to an immune response to an irritant or allergen, which leads to inflammation, according to the National Eczema Association. Eczema commonly affects the arms and legs but can also affect your navel.
"Eczema in the belly button area can result from irritation due to frequent rubbing or friction," says Marisa Garshick, MD, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. People who get eczema in their belly button may experience different types of eczema in other areas of the body, too.
If you have eczema, avoid triggers that cause your skin to flare up. These can include scratchy clothing, sweat, and skin-care products with added fragrances.
Keep skin clean and moisturized. A dermatologist may suggest a medication like hydrocortisone to ease your symptoms.
If you have a puffy, reddish bump inside your navel that itches a lot, it could be a bug or mosquito bite. Tick bites can also cause itchiness and irritation, however, they may not always cause symptoms.
For most people, a bug bite may cause only minor irritation. However, some people may experience symptoms like hives or swelling, according to Cleveland Clinic. These can be signs of an allergic reaction.
If you have a mild allergic reaction to a bug bite, you're more likely to experience a severe reaction in the future. Contact your doctor or an allergy specialist for advice on preventing and treating allergic reactions to bug bites.
Mosquito bites typically fade on their own within a couple of days, but there are strategies to ease symptoms.
Wash the area with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection. Then apply a cold compress or ice pack to reduce itching and swelling. Applying a hydrocortisone or antihistamine cream can help ease itching and irritation.
If you live in a climate where mosquitoes thrive, try applying insect repellent at night to prevent bites.
If you have a bright red rash around your belly button that's itchy or swollen, or produces white discharge, you may have a yeast infection.
Yeast infections are caused by the fungus candida, according to Cleveland Clinic. They tend to develop in areas that are warm and damp, like the skin folds around your navel. While many yeast infections cause an odor, an infection in your belly button may not smell.
If you have recurring yeast infections, it may be due to an underlying health condition such as high blood sugar or frequent antibiotic use. Talk to your doctor about possible causes and treatment.
If you suspect that you have a yeast infection in your belly button, contact a dermatologist, Dr. Garshick says. If yeast is the cause, you may need a prescription topical antifungal medication like nystatin, miconazole, clotrimazole, or ketoconazole cream.
Sometimes an itchy, burning rash is caused by an inflammatory condition called intertrigo, according to Cleveland Clinic. Intertrigo can happen when skin is irritated by heat, humidity, or friction (skin rubbing together).
Like yeast infections, intertrigo tends to occur in areas of the body that are warm and damp, like your belly button. Without treatment, intertrigo can lead to a yeast infection.
Keep the affected area dry and cool. Use a towel to soak up water after bathing or sweat after exercising. You can also use a hair dryer on a cool setting to further dry the area. Then apply a skin barrier cream containing zinc oxide or petrolatum.
If at-home measures don't help, contact a dermatologist to prevent intertrigo from becoming infected, Dr. Gordon says.
Cysts are small, benign bumps below the skin. They can form anywhere on the body, including in the belly button.
Cysts aren't always bothersome, but if infected, they can be painful and have a thick, smelly, cheesy discharge, according to Mayo Clinic.
Try to avoid picking or popping a cyst on your own. This can lead to infection without proper cleaning.
If you notice a new bump in or near your belly button, contact a dermatologist. Though cysts are not typically a cause for concern, "you should always have them looked at since, given the location, they could be associated with an umbilical hernia or granuloma, which is a sign of inflammation," Garshick says.
If the cyst feels irritated, or if you suspect that it is infected, you may also need to have it drained, according to Mayo Clinic.
An itchy belly button that lasts for a few days and improves with at-home measures probably isn't cause for concern. But if itching lasts for more than two weeks, interferes with normal activities, or is affecting other parts of your body, you may want to see a dermatologist.
Belly button itching that occurs with symptoms like weight loss, fever, open sores, or a quickly spreading rash may indicate a more serious problem. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms so they can properly diagnose and treat the issue.
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