Why does my belly button smell and have discharge?

Discharge and smells can be a result of several different factors, though slight navel odors are typically normal. 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.

How do I get rid of smelly discharge from belly button?

Soak a cotton ball in a mixture of antimicrobial soap and warm water, and gently wash your belly button with it. Try to keep the area clean and dry at all times. Avoid wearing tight clothing because it can irritate the affected area.

How do you treat belly button discharge?

Share on Pinterest Antibiotic and antifungal ointments or creams may be used to treat belly button discharge. Bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotic ointments or creams. Fungal or yeast infections are also typically treated with antifungal powders or creams.

Why does my belly button smell like infection?

A bacterial infection

One of the simplest reasons that could cause a belly button to smell is a bacterial infection. Just like any other part of your body, the belly button is susceptible to bacteria and therefore susceptible to developing an infection.

Will a belly button infection go away on its own?

Belly button yeast infections often get better on their own when you keep your navel area clean and dry. Healthy people can usually treat belly button yeast infections with an antifungal medication.

Causes and management of umbilical discharge - Dr. Sanjay Panicker

Why is my belly button leaking fluid?

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.

Why is my belly button dirty?

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.

Why does my girlfriend's belly button smell?

Most belly buttons are indented so act as a trap for sweat, dead skin, and dirt. Few people wash the belly button with soap so germs can develop. The most common cause for a belly button smell is poor hygiene. All areas of the body need to be washed regularly to stay clean and healthy.

Why does my belly button smell even after I wash it?

In fact, the average belly button contains about 67 types of bacteria. 1 This buildup can lead to a smell and even infection. Your belly button may smell because of a hygiene need or an infection caused by bacteria or fungus. The belly button is also a commonly forgotten body part when it comes to washing.

How do you treat a yeast 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.

How can you tell if your belly button is infected?

How long does a belly button infection last?

While most belly button piercings heal without issues, bacteria can infect the area before healing is complete. Infections are usually minor. Symptoms can include pain, redness, and swelling, and improving hygiene can help. Complete healing can take 9–12 months.

Are belly button infections contagious?

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).

What happens if you dont clean belly button?

"All flesh holes can build up with sweat, dead skin cells, oils, clothing fabric, bacteria and forbidden cheese," he says in the clip, which has since been viewed over 300k times. "If not washed out on a regular basis, this material can accumulate and harden into an omphalolith – a belly button stone," he adds.

Should you clean out your belly button?

Your belly button should be cleaned just like all the other parts of the body; otherwise, the area can develop gnarly smells and infections, often paired with red, itchy, and scabby skin—especially if you have a navel piercing.

Can you clean your belly button with peroxide?

Use Shower Gel: It may not be good to clean the belly button with soap because the soap is hard in terms of its ingredients. Using a shower gel helps in this case. Using Hydrogen Peroxide: Equal quantities of hydrogen peroxide, water, and baby oil is the remedy to smelly belly button.

Can you clean your belly button with a QTIP?

How to Clean Your Innie Belly Button. Innie belly buttons need the extra help of a Q-tip to get into all the nook and crannies of the skin. Before going in, swab the Q-tip with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Gently swab the inside of your belly button.

Why is my belly button itchy and smelly?

Discharge and smells can be a result of several different factors, though slight navel odors are typically normal. 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.

How often should you clean your belly button?

Method 1 of 2: Creating a Regular Cleansing Routine. Wash your belly button whenever you shower. The best time to clean your belly button is during a regular bath or shower.

What is the belly button connected to?

The belly button is where the umbilical cord attaches to the fetus, connecting the developing baby to the placenta. Within the cord, there are blood vessels (the arteries) that carry waste away from the baby and another vessel that supplies the baby with oxygen and other nutrients.

What is inside belly button?

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.

What your belly button says about your health?

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.

Can you put Vaseline in your belly button?

A clean belly button is important, but a dry one will help keep that moist environment that bacteria loves to grow in at bay. If, for some reason, you do go at your belly button with something sharp, like your nails, apply a little Vaseline jelly to the area to help your wounds heal, says Dr.

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.