Bacterial infection If you don't clean the area well, these bacteria could cause an infection. Belly button piercings can also get infected. Bacterial infections cause a foul-smelling discharge that can be yellow or green. You can also have swelling, pain, and a scab around your belly button.

Is it normal for belly button to scab?

It's normal for the navel to ooze some secretions. Sometimes the navel forms a scab. Let it heal up and fall off on its own. The navel has a small risk of becoming infected.

How do you get rid of a crusty belly button?

Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently rub the surfaces inside your bellybutton. If the swab gets dirty, throw it away and start a new one. Once the cotton swab comes out clean, use a fresh one dipped in water to rinse the alcohol out of your bellybutton so it doesn't dry your skin.

Is your belly button supposed to crust?

If your belly button is “leaking” clear or colored discharge or blood, you may have a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection. Crusty skin, strong odor, itching, and redness are also signs of infection. If discharge and crust stick around after you wash your belly button, you should see your doctor.

What are the symptoms of a belly button infection?

• redness or skin discoloration in or around the belly button.
• itching or swelling of the affected skin.
• a tender mass that bleeds or releases a foul-smelling discharge.
• fever or chills.
• nausea or vomiting.

What's Inside Your Belly Button?

What does a yeast infection in your belly button look like?

A Candida yeast infection will often cause a rash in and around the affected area. The rash is usually itchy and red, and the discharge coming from the belly button will be thick and have an off-white color to it.

Can your belly button bleed?

Bleeding from your bellybutton can have several different causes. Three of the most likely causes are infection, a complication from portal hypertension, or primary umbilical endometriosis. Keep reading to learn more about bleeding from the bellybutton and what should do to treat it.

Is belly button discharge serious?

Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice a discharge from your belly button, though. It could be a symptom of infection. Also call your doctor if you have other symptoms of infection, including: fever.

Can I clean my belly button with hydrogen peroxide?

Here are the steps: Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, you can use water, a saltwater solution, or hydrogen peroxide to clean your belly button. Dip one side of a cotton swab into a cleansing agent and gently wipe your belly button.

What is inside the belly button?

Around the cord remnant, is the "umbilical collar", formed by the dense fibrous umbilical ring. Surrounding the umbilical collar is the periumbilical skin. Directly behind the navel is a thick fibrous cord formed from the umbilical cord, called the urachus, which originates from the bladder.

Why does my belly button smell like death?

Even if you don't develop a yeast infection, the accumulation of sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint can cause your bellybutton to smell. Omphaloliths. As dead skin cells and sebum — the oil secreted by your skin — accumulate in your bellybutton, they can form an omphalolith over time.

How do you treat a fungal infection in your belly button?

Along with a white discharge, candidiasis can cover your navel with an itchy, red rash. Treatment: Use an antifungal cream such as miconazole nitrate (Micatin, Monistat-Derm) or clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex), and keep your navel clean and dry.

Can a hernia cause your belly button to bleed?

Umbilical bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension who have umbilical hernias containing omentum may be from omental varices that have established a venous communication with cutaneous veins in the base of the umbilicus.

When does the belly button scab fall off?

Taking care of the stump

Your baby's umbilical cord stump dries out and eventually falls off — usually within one to three weeks after birth.

What does a belly button hernia look like?

An umbilical hernia looks like a lump in the navel. It might become more obvious when the infant is laughing, crying, going to the toilet, or coughing. When the child is lying down or relaxed, the lump may shrink. It is not usually painful in children and infants.

How do you treat an infected belly button?

1. If any pus is present, use an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin).
2. No prescription is needed.
3. Put a tiny amount on the belly button.
4. Do this 2 times per day after the area has been cleaned.
5. Do this for 2 days. After that, use the antibiotic ointment only if you see more pus.

What home remedy can I use to clean my belly button?

Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of salt water (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor. Then rinse with plain water and pat it dry.

Why do belly buttons smell like cheese?

Belly buttons are most people's first scars, which form when doctors cut their umbilical cord after birth. Most innies are full of dozens of kinds of bacteria, fungi, and lint — especially if they're on a hairy belly. If a navel gets infected, it might also have a foul-smelling, cheese-like liquid inside.

What is an Umbolith?

A navel stone is sometimes called an omphalolith or umbolith. It is a condition where substances like sebum, or skin oil, hair, dead skin cells, and dirt can accumulate and form a hardball. The stone is usually a dark color and firm to the touch. They may resemble a large blackhead in the opening of the navel.

What is a granuloma in the belly button?

An umbilical granuloma is a moist, red lump of tissue that can form on a baby's navel (belly button). It can be seen in the first few weeks of life, after the umbilical cord has dried and fallen off. It's usually a minor problem that looks worse than it is. An umbilical granuloma does not cause pain.

Can you put Neosporin in your belly button?

Apply an antibacterial cream

Consult a dermatologist before using an over-the-counter antibacterial cream, like Neosporin, as there's a risk for allergic irritation of the skin and reduced airflow to the piercing site, which may increase risk for infection.

Can a belly button infection make you sick?

It may be so small that you don't know it's there. But if it gets infected, you could have belly button pain, fever, and bloody urine. Your doctor may give you antibiotics, drain or remove the cyst, and possibly repair the area with surgery.

How do I check myself for a hernia?

1. Feel for a lump or swelling around the pubic bone.
2. If you find a lump, make note of where it is and lie down.
3. Did the lump disappear or become smaller? If so, it may be a hernia.
4. Do you feel discomfort when coughing or lifting heavy objects? It's almost certainly a hernia.

What happens if fungal infection is left untreated?

If left completely untreated, your stubborn fungal skin infection may cause some or the other kind of permanent damage and in some cases your fungal infection may eventually lead to death.

Can you get a staph infection in your belly button?

It's possible to get a bacterial infection like staph in your belly button because that's just what your body decides to do that day, but getting a navel piercing is a big risk factor, Dr. Lipoff says. “[It's] the most common reason I've seen an infection in a belly button,” he says.