What Causes Itchy Red Ring Around The Navel?

Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Hello,

It's hard to know for sure what you are describing without seeing it (can you upload a few good quality pictures?) but it is possibly ring worm. Ring worm (tinea corporis) is a common fungal infection.

Other possibilities are yeast skin infection, seborrheic dermatitis, urticaria, or other causes.

You can try an over the counter anti fungal medication that you can get at a drug store such as terbinafine or clotrimazole (Lamisil, Lotrimin, etc).

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Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
Hello -

This is not what I was expecting to see! Ring worm is not usually that red and angry, and the center of it is lighter in color. From what I can see in this picture, it looks like the tissue is solidly very red and angry - not a ring. Is what I'm describing from what I see in this picture correct?

This may be a bacterial infection (cellulitis) which may need an antibiotic. If cellulitis occurs on an extremity, if gotten early on, it can sometimes be treated adequately with hot soaks. But a navel is harder to do this with. I recommend, especially if it is tender and spreading, to go in to the urgent care to have it looked at in person.

It's still possible, if it is red and angry from scratching it rather than bacterial infection, that it is a fungal/yeast infection, but after seeing this, I advise going in to have it looked at in person. And please, if the urgent care is staffed with some physician's assistants or nurse practitioners, request that you want to see a physician instead.

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