Conditions

Itchy bum

Itchy bum

No prizes for guessing what this condition makes kids do! Itchy bum, or to give it its medical name ‘pruritus ani’, means an irresistible urge to scratch the anus, either directly, or through underwear. It’s a common experience, and though having an itchy bum isn’t a disease in its own right, it can be a symptom of many different things. It also, unsurprisingly, carries hygiene risks of its own. So what sort of things can get kids scratching down there?

One obvious answer, of course, is if kids don’t wipe themselves properly after going to the toilet, but other possibilities are bacterial or viral infections, an allergy to fabric or soap, and skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. Incontinence or constipation, damage to the anus or sphincter (which can be a result of going to the toilet) or gut conditions can also cause itching. Worms too, can lay their eggs round the anus, making it very itchy at night. A skin condition called lichen sclerosus can also cause an itch round the bum and genitals.

All of these possible causes can be made worse by heat, dampness, heavy clothing or even stress. Establishing what you think is the cause may require a bit of investigation, ingenuity and common sense. Young children may not understand why they shouldn’t do it, and find the urge particularly hard to resist. They may also scratch in their sleep at night and then put their fingers in their mouths, which opens up the way to other sorts of infection and enables worms to spread.

Treatment for an itchy bum will depend on exactly what the cause is, but if it’s clearly ongoing and there’s no obvious single trigger, take your child along to your doctor or nurse who can undertake a proper examination.

What the Men in White Coats Say

Comments and Questions

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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.

my son puts his fingers in his bum and plays around with his poo. He is 9 yrs old and does it mainly does it when he is in the bath his body smells of poo.





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I have a 5 year old boy and he has an itchy bottom and also that it feels spiky, i have taken him to see the doctor twice now and feel like i am not getting anywhere. his bottom only gets itchy at night time, tonight he was screaming for about an hour. please could you give me some usefull advice





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i have worms and i hate it. icry every day and i'm scared of what people will think of me I havetold my mom but she says it just dust how do i make her believe i'm relly sacred please help me?





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Hey I have had worms befor just keep looking for them moving in your poo the if you see them call your mum or dad up so they can see then you just have to by some tablets and that clears them up

I have worms, how old are you? I'm a kid but almost A teenager. Anyway I always suffer with worms. Little monsters But I did try something instead of medicine Because we ran out, try killing the eggs How? : clean around your bottom and where The itching takes place and hopefully this Should help, If not tell your mum: " mum I Have worms, I've had enough and I'm very Uncomfortable please may you get me some Medicine" Hope this helps! Lola xD (13 years young :) )

i think i have worms i've got worms and have told by mother but she won't do any think.now the itching got worse and i don't no what to do.





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my 4 year old has had itchy vulva and also just above anus for a long time despite trying thrush creams and other itchy skin creams. went to docs, thrush swab came up negative, this was months ago. since then still red, though sometimes better than other days...not alot of discharge - but tonight as we have seen on a few occasions she has these white bits on vulva which are almost like bits of white soap (have always taken this to be thrush!) what is it?!! tissue paper? seems more like bits of soap texture. trying to keep cream free as is hard to understand whats going on if applied some. eg if i check in morning and see white i assume it may be down to sudocrem applied night before! going to have to go back to gp but getting fed up with it. also scared if is thrush, is it risk to her fertility in later life? she has just started school and worried this is affecting her mood, must be stressful having this and we cant seem to resolve it.





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I'm 15 and recently, for about 4 days now, i've had a persistant itchy bum. I've tried sitting in the bath, i've tried cleaning, i've tried not wearing fabrics. But it's always made worse after I use the toilet. My nan said "piles" and I freaked, but there's no external piles (from what I can see). We have moved in the last week and haven't yet set up a gp so I don't know what to do





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my 3 yr old daughter is always constipated and most of the time complains of a itchy bum, even on days she has good poos, we'v tried medicine for worms still hasnt stopped...i dont know what to do as it is getting really distressing for both of us, its an ongoing process.. please give me some tips..thanks





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take her to a Dr.

take her to the Dr. but bring with you an EXACT copy of her last 3 weeks of diet and don't leave anything out. It may be u r not feeding her properly for her needs

i would suggest you cut down on het milk intake as this is a common cause of constipation in youngters

my daughter has a really itchy bum it has lasted about a week now i hav been to the doctor with her and he gave her some cream i really dont think it is workin this is also keepin her awake most of the nite and affecting her school work she is only 5 any tips would be great!





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If it is keeping her awake at night then it certainly sounds like worms. I'd check next time she goes to the toilet and if there are worms , go to the chemist and get some worm medicine. They will clear up very quickly! Good luck!

add some Pro-Biotics from a capsule to the cream. get it drug store, vitamin store etc

Sudocrem is excellent for an itchy/sore bum caused by inadequate of excessive wiping. A quick wipe with a wet wipe and a little bit of cream on the affected area can really help.





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I do that aswell but somtimes depending on how itch it is i put baby powder on myslf.It realy does help when you ae out at a party orsomewhere on holiay. Sometimes the heat cn make the bum itch. That is ordinary because i had asked my Doctor.

Simply Soothing anti itch wet wipes help correct the ph of the skin helping friendly fauna and discouraging unwanted microbes. Sometimes creams can make an itchy bum worse as the cream inhibits the skins ability to normalise itself.

Accept it dosent always work ....... I have had a ichy bum before when I was younger and still sometimes now . I would adivise seeing a doctor/gp ..thanks XD

i need someone to tell me more about this i got them and i rely dont like them i wish they can go away as soon as ?





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

The medical term for itchy bottom is "pruritus ani". Itchy bottom is characterised by a very strong urge to scratch the skin around the anus. Read More »