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smelly discharge from belly button
by rooney08, Oct 17, 2005 12:00AM
please help me for years off and on ive had this really smelly discharge from my belly button i went to the doc a few years back he didnt seem worried but now its back i dont wanna go back to my doctor as have been back and forth for weight probs and periods etc and am getting fed up with it all has anyone here experienced this problem or know what it could be i have my belly button peirced but had this problem before that and its horrible pllllleeeeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeee help me!!!
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-Nicole
Its funny you should say that as myself and all the females in our family have a good old laugh at this. I would say that it is literally sweat and the fact that not much air gets to it that causes this to smell. Sometimes, especially in the shower you can mabe forget to give your poor little stinky bellybutton a cleanout and this is what it may be. Now that it has become such a talked about situation in our family (we all initially never spoke about it and then once one person mentiond it everyone else admitted it) i make sure that its clean. Its just one of those places that is inevitble to smell a bit. I wouldnt worry and you would be suprised at how many people will admit it to you if you asked them.
Take care
LouXX
this is interesting
i never had problems before until after the surgery.
either the cut in the belly opened up again after scratching it or it didn't heal well, i am a big girl and that doesn't help matters either.
i am sure it will heal one day all the way, but YES it is not very pleasant.
I am 63 and have had no tubes tied,no operations,just over weight by 25 lbs.
When I loose weight because of dietebets it stops so it is attributed it to weight and yes I WILL ask my dr. and bring this bulletin board to her.
She is my endroconolgists,and a specialist at Uconn Health Center.
Mine is raw and red as sannelle's so now I have a reason to do something about it.
Thanks everyone for the support on this subject.
I love the internet,Jbuick44
12-23-07 Merry Christmas everyon and happy holidays to all.
We need more support in matters that apply to us. We all are getting a nice wake-up call to our health,
again TY All.
jbuick44
ophrahealth site,and more on this subject
but its been getting horribly bad lately. It comes and goes, but it wont seem to go away now. Im not "heavy" but I have a bit of a big belly. The smell has been getting really really bad after i eat any meals and its awful. I clean my belly button every day when I shower and even clean it out with a Q-tip and it wont go away. I really thought that I was the only one, and I was afraid to tell anyone about it. But Im so happy that I am not the only one. Ive read everything you guess have to say and I will try a few of your ideas. I have some sea salt that I use to clean my lips rings and it really works and makes them not smell so I might try that. if it works Ill let you know. Thanks for the help.
:]
but its been getting horribly bad lately. It comes and goes, but it wont seem to go away now. Im not "heavy" but I have a bit of a big belly. The smell has been getting really really bad after i eat any meals and its awful. I clean my belly button every day when I shower and even clean it out with a Q-tip and it wont go away. I really thought that I was the only one, and I was afraid to tell anyone about it. But Im so happy that I am not the only one. Ive read everything you guess have to say and I will try a few of your ideas. I have some sea salt that I use to clean my lips rings and it really works and makes them not smell so I might try that. if it works Ill let you know. Thanks for the help.
:]
I have suffered from the same thing since i was a teenager i am now 24 and i have it all the time. I just have to keep it clean all the time. Sometimes its even good not use any substance and just a clean dry tissue or cotton bud. I too carry more weight than i should but i notice that when i diet and loose the weight that that it goes away. So now i try to keep a very healthy diet and drink lots of water.
I used to have that kind of issue, but now I have the solution. Olive oil! It's really good and natural. Don't use any chemical thing to clean your belly hole that will hurt you, since your belly hole is still accecced to your stomach. And if you cleaned so hard, you will had a stomachache.
How to: Use tissue or similar thing to dip into the olive oil, then use it to clean your belly hole.
You can use other oil too, but olive oil has a strong smell that can remove the stinky smell. On the other hand, it has the function of clean, so it can remove the dirty thing and bacterias. In China, we believe olive oil is "warm" oil, so it can reduce the chance to have a stomachache. If you still have, that's ok, drink some hot coffee and the next day the symdrom will disappear!
If you would like to know more please contact me at ***@****
Mine too gets a yellowish/brown discharge that dries to a crust and is smelly. I also have an "Inny"., have had a C-section, tubes tied, and a hysterectomy, and am a little overweight. But remember I had this as a child and was never overweight then.
I did ask mom recently if there was a problem with my belly button when I was born and she said that it "wasn't healing properly" and that she had to take me back to the doctor shortly after I was born and he painted it with Silver Nitrate then and sent me home.
You might want to check with your mothers (if available) and see if there was a problem with the cord when you were born.
i have just read everyone's entries and like all yourselves, i suffer from the awful smell and gunk from the belly button.
i am an overweight 21 year old and my belly fat rolls up so the belly button doesn't get any air to it and makes it damp and moist and very smelly.
i used to have a belly button piercing but took it out after 2 months cos my body rejected it and now the hole has closed up but there is a huge red rash and scab above it and sore red thrush-like symptoms around the inner belly button. it itches and is very sore.
i went to the doctors and was diagnosed with fungal infection and they prescribed me an antifungal cream called daktacort (you can purchase on internet 15g for £5).
the cream has helped immensely.
to avoid the smell coming back, shower daily and always clean the belly button out and make sure you dry it properly.
also try sprinkling some 'mycil powder' around the hole to stop it from sweating. normal talcum powder is fine but because mycil powder treats athlete's foot and fungal infection, it could be the better option to get rid of nasty infections and odors. (£3 from chemist for large tube).
hope this helps!
kim xx
Hope this helps all u walking around with smelly belly buttons :)
I too am a little overweight, but do remember having this problem vaguely at college when I wasnt.
Glad to know Im not the only one and will try out some of your suggestions!
http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_108.jhtml
The infection always cleared up eventually but it was bothersome, uncomfortable, and embarrassing. I thought I was alone until I came across this posting.
I wanted to share the best remedy I have found in my years of dealing with this inconvenient (but ultimately, not very serious) condition. Stop with all the harsh products. If you have a deep belly button, the skin down there is sensitive and putting hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol in it, is more likely to aggravate the symptoms than it is to cure them. Also, stop sticking q-tips and cotton balls down there, they can leave behind traces of cotton that can also aggravate your condition. I was annoyed when one doctor told me this, but, I often noticed that my problem seemed to get worse if I attacked too aggressively.
What has worked best for me is to take a glass of warm salt water and place the glass over my belly button. I swish it around for awhile with the glass held over the navel, than pour some of the liquid from the glass into my navel; then I swish what's left in the glass around again and drain all the contents of the glass into and over my navel area. Finally, I take the shower head and very quickly rinse the area, careful to make sure that I don't rinse all the salt water out of my belly button. When I get out of the shower, I take a piece of toilet paper and pat my navel, to make sure excess moisture is absorbed. I DO NOT STICK ANYTHING IN TO MAKE SURE IT'S DRY.
Within a few days (one week max), this is sure to clear up any problems (unless they are more serious). It's the best way I've found to combat recurring belly button infections, and it makes sense that it works. Salt water is a gentle disinfectant that won't upset the delicate balance of your body's chemistry.
This has worked consistently and well for me.
I hope it helps someone else out there.
Good luck.
b.b.
My belly button doesn't smell but it's red inflammed and hurts. It's painfull to touch. It happened a month ago and I cleaned it out with alcohol but it hasn't worked this time. I have lost 40 lbs. I do feel a small bulge under my belly button. I've looked on Webmd for the umbilical hernia but there isn't much about in adults. Does anyone know another website?
The doc took a swab and it has been declared an anaerobic bacteria (no yeast/fungus).
It has spontaneously stopped when I am thinner.
This last time it was trigger by my boyfriend lovingly kissing my belly button ...
DO NOT USE ALCOHOL SWABS.
I tried this once and what it did was put a crust over the discharge. I was so happy because I thought I had finally gotten rid of it. 3 days later by stomach was swollen, red and inflamed. It was painful to move or site. I went for ultrasounds etc (really scary).
Eventually, "the crust" broken and all the discharge (normally white or pale yellow) came out. It was dark brown (almost black). It oozed in huge big globs for about 3-day.
The infection continued to build up behind the crust.
Be very very very cautious about the solutions that you try.
My experience was horrendous.
Now, it clean thoroughly, dry out with Qtip and anti-bacterial cream and then put 1/2 a sheet of toilet paper to avoid leakage.
Off to get a swab tomorrow, hopefully they will give me some anti-biotics that will remove the problem ...
Unless you have a physical deformity or reason for your navel to become infected, it is probably a "yeast-like" substance that grows because of the warmth and moisture of the navel.
The one thing that cures yeast-like infections is yogurt with active cultures (which is in more store brand yogurts). Eat a container of yogurt everyday until it's gone and then a couple of times a week to keep it from returning. If you don't like the taste of yogurt, you can apply it directly, but I cannot guarantee that will be as effective because you just simply can't get a whole container in your navel! So even if you don't like it, I recommend eating it anyway.
Yogurt has also been shown to cure/prevent yeast infections in other areas of the body including the vagina.
If after eating yogurt for a week or so, the infection doesn't clear up - then go to the doctor and make sure some other therapies aren't needed.
So eat up and be healthy everyone!!!
Usually--even without an infection--there is some amount of odor to my bellybutton. Not a ton like some of the others here have posted, but enough to annoy me!
The advice I received from my doctor was actually to avoid getting it wet if possible, and definitely not to get soap and other cleansing agents in it. Keeping things dry as possible is key! So anyway, I'm not sure what to make of the advice some of you are reporting here--you might want to be careful which remedies you try.
Anyway, I am nine months pregnant right now, and my bellybutton is SO deep that I still have an innie! Isn't that crazy? Most pregnant ladies I know, their bellybuttons disappear in pregnancy or even turn into outies. But not me.
What's interesting is that my bellybutton is now more of a normal size. As it's been sort of unfolding open, I've had the very unusual opportunity to clean up some of the crud that's been caked in there forever.
Tonight, I was doing more of the same and getting some yuckiness out, when I saw something. It looks like I have a very small cyst or polyp in there! It's a little growth of skin, very tiny, but very much attached to the inside wall of my bellybutton. I am wondering if the occasions on which I've had actual infections have had to do with the existence of this little tag of flesh and perhaps it getting irritated or something.
Anyway, if I *weren't* nine months pregnant, I wouldn't be able to see it. But unfortunately, because I'm nine months pregnant, I'm not exactly in a position to run out to a doctor and ask about having it looked at/removed.
Has anyone else got any experience with learning they have a cyst or polyp or whatever you call it in their bellybutton? Maybe this is something I can have a doctor look at in a few months.... Hmmm. Because if it IS the source of the actual painful infections, I want it GONE, you know? :)
iv had my belly button pierced 7 months ago but the previous 3 months iv been experincing clear odourless discharge and somr bleeding. Im really fed up of cleaning and checking on my belly ring every hour, is there any medication that'll help reduce the discharge?
i started to notice mine after having a section with my 3rd child at first i thought i had had an accident but couldnt understand as i knew i hadnt trumped or owt. then a few weeks after having the op i noticed my belly button was a bit weepy, so i cleaned it out and there was the smell again. its been 3 years now and i cant take it anymore, no matter how many times i wash it out it still smells bad i get paranoid others will smell it and think im unclean. im at the end of my tether trying to find something to get rid of it perminantly, but its nice to know im not the only one having this problem. ive been to scared to go to the docs with it as its quite embarresing but im going to mention it next time i go to see if they can give me something for it.
thanks ladies
"Patients with umbilical disorders present with drainage, a mass, or both. Most umbilical disorders result from failure of normal embryologic or physiologic processes. Unusual umbilical anatomy, such as a single umbilical artery or abnormal position of the umbilicus, may be associated with other congenital anomalies or syndromes.
Omphalocele and gastroschisis, which are common abdominal wall defects associated with the umbilicus, are discussed in other eMedicine articles (see Omphalocele and Gastroschisis). Masses of the umbilicus may be related to lesions of the skin, embryologic remnants, or an umbilical hernia. Masses associated with the skin include dermoid cysts, hemangiomas, and inclusion cysts. Umbilical drainage is associated with granulomas and embryologic remnants.
Delayed separation of the umbilical cord: The umbilical cord usually separates from the umbilicus 1-8 weeks postnatally. Topical antimicrobials are usually applied after delivery, followed by isopropyl alcohol until cord separation. Delayed separation may signify an underlying immune disorder.
Umbilical granuloma: Granulation tissue may persist at the base of the umbilicus after cord separation. The tissue is composed of fibroblasts and capillaries and can grow to more than 1 cm. Umbilical granulomas must be differentiated from umbilical polyps, which do not respond to silver nitrate cauterization.
Umbilical infections: Patients with omphalitis may present with purulent umbilical discharge or periumbilical cellulitis. Although infections may be associated with retained umbilical cord or ectopic tissue, in the past, infections were often related to poor hygiene. Current aseptic practices and the routine use of antimicrobials on the umbilical cord have reduced the incidence to less than 1%. Cellulitis may become severe within hours and progress to necrotizing fasciitis and generalized sepsis.
Omphalomesenteric remnants: Persistence of all or portions of the omphalomesenteric duct can result in fistulas, sinus tracts, cysts, congenital bands, and mucosal remnants. Patients with mucosal remnants can present with an umbilical polyp or within an umbilical cyst.
Urachal remnants: The developing bladder remains connected to the allantois through the urachus. Remnants of this connection include a patent urachus, urachal sinus, and urachal cyst. Umbilical polyps can also be observed in association with a urachal remnant.
Umbilical hernia: Umbilical hernias result when persistence of a patent umbilical ring occurs. Umbilical hernias may spontaneously close, but many require surgical repair.2"
I am going to ask my doctor about it anyway because I think I may have allergies to certain foods such as wheat and I believe Thrush and Wheat infections both relate to Candida bacteria which an excess of can cause Thrush?
if you are having any discharge (drainage) with a foul odor, with green, yellow, thich drainage or any coloration you have an INFECTION.go to the doctor! if this infection gets into any open area on your skin, you will get very sick, it will get into your blood!!!!!
Second of all, you are having any pain moving, on your abdomen, GO TO THE DOCTOR, if you are having sharp pains, GO TO THE DOCTOR. note what you were doing, eating, what postion made the pain stop. IF YOU ARE HAVING UPPER stomach pain GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM especially if you are unable to stand up atraigh and if pain is only relieved by bending your leg when laying falt, this indicated that you may have appendicitis
THRID.
DONT TOUCH YOUR BELLY BOTTON. IF YOU INSIST ON REMOVING ANY IRRIATNT DO THIS:
take peroxide NOT ALCOHOL, and get a q- tip and saw inside and around your belly bottom, if you are having pain doing so STOP B/C THIS MEANS THERES AN OPEN AREA CAUSING THIS PAIN.
YOU CAN POUR THE PEROXIDE INSIDE THE BELLY BOTTOM, USE A COTTON SAW TO DRY it TOUGHLY. then call the dr. and tell him youre concerned and want him to look at it.
DONT TOUCH YOUR BELLY BOTTON, LEAVE IT ALONE.
I too am a male who suffers from this horrid, putrid stench. What I find works best is to dab a small amount (about 10 ml's) of hydrochloric acid into my belly button. Sure it burns a bit, but it is better than the embarrasment of having your wife tell you that she refuses to perform orally for you because the rotting stink of your wretched, disgusting and almost satanic smell is making her gag while she comes within inches of your stink pot. After the acid burn the smell seems to go away for quite a while. I only have to use it about twice a year now. Very much worth the discomfort of caustic liquid eating away the smelly skin to receive a moist, warm, heart felt bout of oral pleasure. If you can't find any hydrochloric acid, try using bromine.
I read mention of a weight issue? I too am over weight, but when I wasn't over weight while at work one night I took a bathroom break (this was March in 1986) my belly button was really sore not a painful but a burning irritation sore. I to stuck my finger in there and pulled out a yellow plug like I don't know what, about an inch in length. I was grossed out. It looked like the filter of nasty yellowed cigarette butt. But I had no problems after that night until last fall when at night I sat in a green watered pool. I couldn't see it was green.
I frankly don't know what else to do. I had a taint of blood last week that left a dried ring in the morning. I don't know but obviously if I found that plug when I was 70lbs smaller and fit as a fiddle I don't think we can say weight is a factor.
Advice: Lose weight not gain it. Always dry your belly button after shower and clean it with alcohol or/and yeast disinfectant (leave it on).
I should mention that my belly button does not hurt and is not really oozing anything ( I would go to the doctor for this) but it does smell really badly and is even a little itchy.
I am a bit over-weight and have recently started working out alot to shed a few pounds. I wonder if all that extra sweat is the cause. Bigger people do tend to sweat a little more.
I m glad that i foun this forum. I found many good explanation and i think i found what i was trying to find i just need the proof.
The thing is we have not excatly same thing that why it is very import to read carefully and find what is your exact problem. Here is my story i hope it will be helpfull to some of you.
First of i want to mention i am 30 years old, i m not ovwerweight and i thin my bellybuttom is not so deeo, i think it is quite ordinary. I have this for couple of years, dont know exactly how long because before i didnt paid attention. But this year it become worth, since i have it very often bow, before it was very seldom, therefore didint paid so much attention. But i have only terrible smell and my bellybuttom is redish and i get this discharge which dryies out later. So I dont have any pain, or irritation or anything, so nothing bothers me at all only terrible smell.
And i was diagnosed in Baku, i didnt belived the verdict (since i really didnt want the operation) and apparetly diagnose were correct.Adn i want to thank Fuzz, who had here mediccal artical, so my diagnose was:Urachal remnants, this smells is urine. And i was told it small operation to fix this.
And i just want to mention the doctor in Baku said this desease is occurs very seldom, Even though you see here a lot of people haveing the same problem still this is not much, so very are a seldom case.
But i didnt belive and wend to doctor in Norway, since i live here now. Diagnos here was fungal infection, i got a cream and used for 2 week nothing has changed.
Now i m going to print all the medical articles relevant to this and go to doctor again. Recomend to do the same!
good luck to every one and thnaks for you comments
i hope it gets better. x
Well for starters I am overly excited right now that I am not the only one with this problem. I used to be overweight well a lot more than I am now haha, and thats when i first noticed the problem. I got to say it is very embarrasing, if you work close with other people. The problem went away for me as soon as i lost some weight, yup it was like magic... But a few months later as I gained a few pounds like 5lb the problem is back... I also suffer from PCOS and have very irregular periods, I read that some people in here suffer from diabetes and that scares me. Maybe I should go see my Family Physician for this... Best of luck to all !
good luck girls
My problem is that I am terribly self-conscous and do NOT want to go to the doctor so if anyone has been to the doctor and knows what this disgusting thing is...please please let me know!
Thank Ya'll so much!
I have quite a deep belly button, I had foul smelling discharge, some days it would be sore and when I tried to clean it, it sometimes bled.
Looking at info on various websites it pointed to a yeast infection. I used an anti fungal cream, I'm in the UK so I used Canesten 1% Cream (normally used for nappy rash, I'm not sure what the equivalent outside the UK would be). I would also use talcum powder to keep it dry. I used the cream 3 times a day, each time I applied it I also put talcum power lightly over the top to help keep it dry. And made extra care to dry it properly after showering or exercising. Even though after 2 week all signs of infection had gone, I carried on treating it for an extra week as I searched for info and a lot of sites said that the infection can stay around even though it looks like it's gone. I no longer have the infection, but I continue to use talcum powder to keep it dry.