Any deviations in the health of children instantly affect their behavior. For example, if a child constantly scratches his head, careful parents should definitely think about the reasons.
It is likely that the baby was just thinking, puzzled or carried away by the cartoon. In this case, his movements may be unconscious and involuntary. However, there may be plenty of options, and not all of them are so harmless. How to understand why a child scratches his head and what needs to be done in a particular case?
Why can the head itch?
The reasons forcing the child to regularly comb the skin under the hair may be mass. Here are just a few of them:
- Poor hair care, poor hygiene.
- Use of shampoo that is not suitable for the type of hair.
- Allergic reactions to shampoo components or food.
- Fungal lesions of the scalp.
- Pediculosis.
- Vitamin deficiency, lack of minerals and nutrients.
- Stress.
- Failures in the work of internal organs.
- Violations of the lipid metabolism of the skin.
- Ticks
- Behavioral problems.
There are other reasons, some of which we will consider in more detail below.
Personal hygiene
One of the most harmless situations in which a child scratches his head is a violation of personal hygiene. This does not mean that your baby is dirty. Even with regular water procedures, the child may simply not wash the shampoo off well or wash the dirt off very carefully.
This situation can cause inflammation of the hair follicles, which is manifested by palpable itching. It also happens that the child just does not fit shampoo. It turns out a vicious circle: the more the mother washes her baby’s head, the more it itches.
The treatment in this case will be very simple. It is enough just to change the shampoo, wash your hair regularly and make sure that the child rinses the hair qualitatively.
Pediculosis
Another common reason that a child scratches his head can be well-known lice. Unfortunately, pediculosis is a very contagious disease. You just need to play next to the patient in the same sandbox or sit at the same desk.
Long gone are the days when uninvited "guests" were disposed of with kerosene or smelly dust soap. Modern drugs are readily available, easy to use and smell good. Among the popular ones are Para Plus, Pediculen or Nittifor. Only 1-2 treatments, and lice will leave your child’s head.
But at the same time, the heads of all family members should be processed and boiled and ironed on both sides of all bedding and clothes.
Rickets
If a small child scratches his head in a dream, this may be a manifestation of rickets. In case of vitamin D deficiency in children, excessive sweating is observed. Salty sweat irritates delicate skin, and the baby begins to unconsciously crawl his head on the pillow.
To exclude the development of the disease, you should urgently show the child to the pediatrician. He will give all the necessary recommendations.
Allergic reaction
When a child scratches his head behind his ears, there may be an allergic reaction to a product. In this case, redness or rashes will not necessarily be observed. The scalp is much denser than in other parts of the body, therefore, rashes here may appear later.
To fix the problem, try to find its source. Think, maybe you bought a new shampoo or washing powder? Gave your child new products? Was any disease treated with unusual medications?
Once the cause is established, exclude the action of the allergen and after a while the situation will improve.
Bad habit or neurosis
Sometimes a child scratches his head, just trying to attract attention. And in some cases it turns into a bad habit. The kid unconsciously scratches the top of the head without even noticing it.
The situation is much worse when the “pruritus” is the result of a neurosis. Watch your baby carefully. You may also notice other symptoms:
- change in habits;
- refusal of food;
- depressed mood;
- pronunciation problems
- changes in behavior;
- frequent headaches for no apparent reason;
- sleep disturbances.
If you find something like this, it is best to consult a psychologist. A good specialist will help the child talk and find out the cause of mental anguish.
Psoriasis
If a child often scratches his head, he may have psoriasis. The first manifestations of this disease often appear on the back of the head. Outwardly, it may look like a slight peeling of skin areas. Over time, peeling becomes more noticeable, irritation and a sufficiently severe itching appear. Reddish spots may also appear on the knees and elbows.
Unfortunately, scientists have not yet fully figured out what provokes the onset of this disease and how to treat it. Psoriasis is not an infectious pathology. But now it is not possible to cure her completely. The doctor will prescribe drugs that improve the condition of the skin, and detoxify the body. In severe situations, corticosteroids are treated.
Metabolic disease
This is a fairly serious malfunction in the child's body. Most often, a slowdown in metabolism is the result of a sedentary lifestyle and a violation of diet. Excess weight causes sweat and sebaceous glands to work in an enhanced mode. Increased sweating provokes the multiplication of opportunistic microflora and causes irritation on the skin.
Often the head begins to actively itch during puberty. This is due to the accelerated production of hormones and a sharp increase in the fat content of the scalp. The best way out is to show the child to the endocrinologist and rationalize nutrition.
Dermatitis
The cause of severe itching of the scalp can be seborrheic dermatitis or known dandruff. Especially often teenagers suffer from this disease. This is one of the manifestations of puberty.
Parents need to understand that dandruff will not go away on its own. Most likely, advertised shampoos will not help either. They remove only the tip of the iceberg, while the hidden cause of the disease remains unclear.
The treatment of dandruff is not only the use of therapeutic shampoos. The doctor will adjust the diet, prescribe immunomodulators and will certainly recommend sunbathing. If the disease was the result of stress, prescription of antidepressants or sedatives is possible.
Demodecosis
This is another of the diseases in which a child scratches his head severely. The cause of this can be a demodex mite or acne zheleznitsa. The disease is contagious and close contact with the patient is better to limit. Most often, the tick affects those whose immunity leaves much to be desired.
In this case, only a doctor can choose the right treatment. Symptoms may include:
- at first, itching appears in separate places;
- blackheads appear, the skin turns red;
- hairs fall out;
- in places of greatest damage severe peeling is manifested;
- pain in the eyes may begin.
Interestingly, the itchy area does not grow. Just new ones with the same signs appear, the scalp is literally covered with spots. It is very important not to let the child comb the foci and carefully follow the doctor's instructions.
Lipid imbalance
If a child at 2 years old scratches his head, but there is no apparent reason, he may be sleeping on a pillow made of synthetic material. If so, just replace the bedding.
If a small child is constantly in contact with synthetics, he may experience problems with lipid metabolism of the scalp. The neck of the baby is constantly sweating, and the hairs, on the contrary, dry out, become electrified and split.
In this case, the doctor can prescribe a vitamin-mineral complex, advise you to replace the pillow and pillowcase with natural ones, and selects moisturizers for hair.
Ringworm
If a small child constantly scratches his head, it is likely that he had a close chat with the yard cat. The disease in this case provokes a rather dangerous fungus. It quickly takes root in the body of young children and people suffering from immune disorders. So if the child scratches his head, carefully examine him. Symptoms are very eloquent:
- the affected areas are very itchy, have rounded outlines;
- hair is thinning, breaking or even falling out;
- redness and significant peeling appear.
If you find bald spots on the child’s head, an urgent need to run to the dermatologist. By itself, the disease does not exactly go away. Moreover, the rest of the family may become ill.
Fungal diseases in children occur much more often than in adults. This is due to the fact that the sebaceous glands of babies are not yet able to produce acids that interfere with the penetration of the fungus into the skin. And babies communicate more with sick animals.
Preventative measures
In order for the child to stop constantly scratching his head, the cause should be eliminated as soon as possible, the existing diseases should be cured. But even after the situation returned to normal, regular prevention of skin lesions should be carried out. Moreover, it is not so difficult to do this:
- The baby's head should be washed regularly and very thoroughly.
- Gentle detergents must be selected appropriate to his age and type of hair.
- When washing, it is important to use only special children's products.
- It is only necessary to comb the hair with his own comb, and it is very important to convey your demand to the carers.
- It is important to regularly wash and iron baby bedding, towels and hats.
- It is necessary to ensure that the child’s head comes into contact only with natural materials.
- During walks, you must constantly monitor the baby and stop attempts to play with sick animals.
Preventive measures can also include a balanced diet, multivitamin preparations, regular sunbathing. And if you find problems, do not let the situation go by its own accord. Timely consultation of a specialist will help to improve the situation and avoid additional problems.