Belly button rash-Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
Belly button rash is most commonly caused by infections and allergies. But sometimes it can be caused by certain autoimmune diseases like psoriasis too. Rash around belly button needs to be treated properly by a doctor to get rid of the infection or allergy or the disease causing it.
But, you can follow some home remedies too to get rid of the problem along with the treatment prescribed by your doctor. The belly button is amongst the parts of a woman’s body that make her look beautiful.
Rash in belly button can make your belly look awkward and you might feel embarrassed due to it. In addition to the embarrassment, it can be accompanied by other symptoms like pain, itching, etc. So, let us discuss everything about the belly button rash, its causes, and the treatments that can alleviate the problem.
Belly button rash causes:
There are many different causes of belly button rash ranging from mild allergy to disorders. Let us get to know all the different causes of rash on belly button.
1. Belly button yeast infection:
Causes of belly button yeast infection:
Our belly or navel is completely covered with the clothes. So, it is dark, and we also tend to sweat a lot in the belly area while exertion or during hot weather. This hot, humid and dark environment facilitates the growth of yeast infections.
The most yeast infection causing the rash around belly button is candida. It can also affect other regions like underarms, folds under the breasts, mouth or oral cavity and the vagina.
Symptoms of yeast infection of belly button:
Candida causes the development of red to purplish colored rashes. These rashes tend to flake and scale. These red rashes can be covered with yellow crusts on top of them.
Like many other fungi, this candida infection of the belly button is extremely itchy or pruritic. If you keep scratching the rash, it can develop bleeding or it can even emanate foul smelling discharge from the rash.
Diagnosis:
This rash in belly button caused by candida is identified using physical exam by a dermatologist. But sometimes, your physician might take swabs from the belly button and send for a microscopic examination and culture for a precise diagnosis.
Treatment of the yeast infection:
This yeast infection on belly button or the candida fungus is treated with anti fungal drugs. Your dermatologist might prescribe you some anti fungal creams like clotrimazole to be applied topically. If the infection is severe enough, your physician might also suggest you take fluconazole tablets orally.
2. Bacterial infection on belly button:
Causes of bacterial infection of belly button:
The belly button is susceptible to many types of infections including fungal and bacterial infections. If you have any wounds on your belly button due to cuts, surgeries like laparoscopy, or belly button piercing, you are prone to develop the bacterial infection of belly button.
If you have a yeast infection of belly button with candida and you scratch a lot, this will create open sores that will develop secondary bacterial infections. If you touch your navel with contaminated hands, it will further aggravate your problem. The most common bacteria causing navel infection are Staphylococcus and streptococcus.
Symptoms:
They will produce symptoms like redness or red bumps or red rash over belly button. It will also itch like the fungal infection. In severe cases, the belly button rash tends to be painful and discharges foul smelling discharge that is yellow or green in color. If the infection is severe, it can lead to complications like abscess or cellulitis or even sepsis or septicemia.
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of the belly button infection is mainly made by your doctor by examining the rash around belly button. But sometimes he might need to send the swab of the region for culture to decide about the antibiotics to which these bacteria are susceptible.
Treatment:
Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics creams to treat the infection caused by bacteria around your navel. If the infection is severe, you will need to take oral antibiotics. If the infection is more severe, it might even need to be treated with intravenous antibiotics.
3. Scabies:
Causes of scabies:
Scabies is caused by a type of mite called Sarcoptes scabies. It burrows into the skin and lays eggs. It is highly contagious. It is spread from one person to another person by touching them or by using contaminated clothing like towels, etc.
Symptoms of scabies:
Scabies caused red-colored rash or bumps on the skin, mainly on areas like wrists, hands, ankles, buttocks, waist or belly button, underarms, etc. These red bumps tend to itch a lot.
Diagnosis:
Scabies is diagnosed by your doctor by physical exam. He might also take a sample of tissue from the area of the rash to confirm the presence of the mites.
Treatment:
Scabies needs to treated extensively to prevent the spread of infection. It can be treated with many anti-scabies lotions, and soaps that contain ingredients like permethrin, benzyl benzoate, lindane, sulfur, etc.
4. Psoriasis:
Causes:
The exact cause of psoriasis is not yet known. But, many causes are thought to be causing psoriasis as per researchers like genetics, autoimmunity, infections, drugs and also injuries to the skin.
Symptoms:
Psoriasis is a disorder in which the cells of the skin divide at a pace far greater than the division of the normal skin cells. So, the newly divided cells come to the top layer of the skin forming red patches covered with silvery scales.
They can affect any part of the body including belly button, scalp, trunk, arms, legs, etc. These red patches are extremely itchy.
Diagnosis:
Psoriasis can be easily identified by your doctor due to the presence of silvery white scales over red patches. These lesions also tend to bleed when scraped. This is called grattage test. Doctors can identify psoriasis with this test and the help of some other sophisticated tests if required.
Treatment:
Psoriasis rash is treated by using many types of topical creams or ointments containing salicylic acid, coal tar, steroids or calcipotriene. You might also be prescribed retinoids to treat the condition.
5. Allergies:
Many types of allergies can lead to belly button rash. You might have developed an allergy to your new clothes, a new soap, a new detergent used to wash your clothes, or even due to belly button piercing, etc. It causes a red rash around belly button that itches a lot.
This rash needs to be treated by your doctor at first. You will need to take antihistaminic drugs at first. If the rash is severe you might even need to take antihistaminic injections to cure the allergy completely.
6. Poor hygiene:
Maintaining good hygiene is absolutely important to prevent any type of infection. If you have any type of cut or wound on the belly button and you use dirty hands or dirty clothes over the area, you will get infected with various bacteria like staphylococcus, streptoccus or even fungus like candida. This leads to the development of rash in belly button.
7. Pemphigoid gestationis:
Some people develop a rash around the belly button during menstruation. This is caused by a sudden surge in the estrogen levels. This increased estrogen level leads to a disease called pemphigoid gestationis. But, this condition is not very severe.
8. Pregnancy:
Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life. But it is also associated with many changes in the woman’s body, that can produce discomfort. During pregnancy, the abdomen expands leading to the stretching of the skin over the belly.
This makes the belly button or the abdomen itch a lot. If the pregnant woman scratches over the area, wounds develop leading to the growth of bacteria and fungi which produce belly button rash.
To avoid this problem, pregnant women need to avoid dryness of the abdomen at all costs. Try to moisturize your abdomen with a good moisturizer to avoid developing this rash around belly button.
Treatments, tips and home remedies to get relief from belly button rash:
You have seen all the possible causes of belly button rash. Now, let us learn some tips and treatments to keep the rash around belly button under control.
Good hygiene:
As belly button rash can be caused by poor hygiene, you need to maintain good hygiene to get rid of the rash. Try to wash or clean the belly button area at least twice a day. You can clean the belly button with a cotton ball dipped in warm salt water. You can make salt water by dissolving 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt in a cup of warm water.
You can also use an antibacterial soap to cleanse the region. Then after cleaning the rash around belly button, make the area completely dry.
Warm compress:
The rash in belly button can make you experience pain. You can get relief from the pain by applying a warm compress over the rash. Just dip your cloth in warm water and then squeeze out excess water. Apply this warm cloth over the belly button rash and massage for some time to get relief.
White vinegar:
White vinegar is really very effective in getting rid of infections of the belly button. Take a spoon of white vinegar and mix it in 2 spoons fo water. Dip a cotton bal in this white vinegar mixture and massage the belly button rash with it. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes and then clean the belly button with warm water.
Tea tree oil:
Tea tree oil is another good remedy for rash on belly button. Take few drops of tea tree oil and mix it with few spoons of coconut oil or olive oil. Then massage this mixture gently over the rash in belly button. Wait for few minutes and then rinse the area with warm water or clean it with a clean and damp cloth or tissue.
You have seen all the causes of belly button rash, their symptoms and the home remedies to get rid of the problem. But, ensure that you visit your dermatologist or doctor immediately to get proper treatment depending on the condition. You can follow the above tips and home remedies in addition to your doctors prescription to alleviate your rash on belly button.