The most common is infection, but fungal growth can be the source too. Sometimes belly button bleeding is a result of injury. Whatever the cause may be, there is significant risk to your health if you let the issue go untreated. Your doctor will examine you and may order tests to determine the cause of your bleeding.
A person should contact a doctor if they experience any bleeding in or around the belly button in addition to any of the following symptoms: red, swollen skin that is painful or tender to the touch. severe or persistent pain around the belly button.
“If you stick a fingernail in there and really scrape to get the fluff out, that can break the skin and could lead to an infection,” he explains. Some people also clean their belly buttons with cotton swabs soaked in alcohol, which he says can cause dryness and irritation.
If you have a combination of foul smell and discharge, it could be a sign of: A fungal infection or yeast infection of the belly button. A bacterial infection of the belly button. A wound or bruise around or within the belly button.
Accumulation of dirt and debris.
Your belly button is home to many types of bacteria. You may also have fungi (like the yeast called Candida) and other germs in there. Combine that with dead skin cells and the natural oils from your skin and you've got the recipe for an unpleasant odor.
If left untreated, some belly button infections can become serious. As mentioned above, some infections are caused by bacteria that can spread to other parts of your body (including organs and blood), causing sepsis and other deadly conditions.
Keep your hands off your belly button
Did you know that your belly button is the dirtiest part of the body, according to the Public Library of Science? “The belly button harbors a high population of bacteria,” Dr. Richardson says.
Soap and a washcloth can work for innies, too, but you may need slightly more specialized tools—namely, as Healthline explains, a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol. Before you hop in the shower, coat the cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and delicately scrub all the folds of your belly button.
When your belly button smells, it is usually because of a hygiene need or infection. The belly button contains several tiny skin folds that can trap sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Possible infections include candidiasis, bacterial infections, or an infected urachal cyst.
The most common symptom of a belly button yeast infection is a bright red rash in the skin folds of your navel. The rash is typically extremely itchy. It may burn. You may also see scaling, swelling or a white discharge.
Diabetic patients are prone to infections, and the disease may also prevent rapid healing of infections. Diabetics with belly button infections may suffer from an unpleasant smell emanating from the belly button, as well as oozing of cheese-like fluids.
One potentially life-threatening cause of bleeding can occur in the case of umbilical hernia with portal hypertension and rupture of umbilical varices that arise from recanalized umbilical and periumbilical veins or communication between underlying omental varices and abdominal wall scars [6, 7].
“This structure is exquisitely sensitive and its sensory nerve fibers relay input back to the spinal cord at the same level as the nerves that relay sensation from your bladder and urethra.” You'll only get this weird tingly feeling if you really dig deep into your belly button, though.
Internally the veins and arteries in the cord close up and form ligaments, which are tough connective tissues. These ligaments divide up the liver into sections and remain attached to the inside of the belly button.
The belly button is home to many bacteria but can be overlooked when a person washes. Improper hygiene and cysts can cause a belly button to smell.
Intertrigo is inflammation and redness that is common in skin folds, including the navel. The rash occurs because of skin fold friction, sweat and bacteria. Fungal and yeast microorganisms also interplay to exacerbate skin redness.
The shape and dent of your navel essentially determines how the umbilical cord heals. Belly buttons don't necessarily mean anything in particular about your health, however some people would argue that your belly button says a lot about you as a person.” Belly buttons are low-key gross.
The belly button rule (also known as BBR) means the direction of our navel reflects our true interest. Simple. So now that you know the definition, let me give you a quick test.
It turns out your mother was right when she told you to keep your finger out of your belly button. Apparently, pushing in there actually does do something - it makes you need to pee. Dr.
The reason for this strange sensation is that you are actually stimulating a part of your spine. "At the navel, you have the ability to stimulate not only the skin overlying the navel, but also the fibers of the inner lining of your abdomen," Dr. Christopher Hollingsworth of NYC Surgical Associates told BuzzFeed.
Lipoff says, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus is often behind belly button infections because it tends to cause many skin infections in general. A staph infection can manifest in a number of ways, including as a highly contagious condition called impetigo, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
The most common symptoms of a belly button yeast infection include itching, redness, swelling, and pain around the belly button area. Other symptoms can include a foul-smelling discharge, inflammation, dryness, and scaling. In severe cases, blisters and sores may also form.