BELLY UP
From smells to stones and itches – what your belly button says about your health and when you must see a doctor
Plus, how to wash your belly button and how often you should be giving it a scrub
YOUR belly button, be it an 'innie' or an 'outie', is a remnant of how you were once connected to your mother in the womb.
The medical term for a belly button is navel, and it’s where your umbilical cord was attached to you.
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The umbilical cord is the connection between the blood circulation of the developing foetus and the placenta.
The two circulations do not mix, but oxygen, glucose and other substances can travel from the mum to the baby, and waste products such as carbon dioxide can be removed.
After delivery, you begin to breathe on your own and the umbilical cord and placenta are no longer needed.
The cord is cut, leaving a small umbilical stump which falls off over the next few days or weeks.
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This leaves behind your belly button, which essentially is like a scar.
While your belly button might not be a body part that you think about very often, it can give you clues about your overall health.
From how it changes throughout your life, to lumps, smells, crusts and itches - here’s what your belly button can tell you.
Does the shape of your belly button mean anything?
Everyone’s belly button is slightly different though there are various categories such as an ‘outie’ - which is thought to occur in about one in 10 people - and various types of ‘innie’, such as vertical, round or horizontal.
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The shape of the belly button itself does not signify anything in particular about your health, unless there is a mass or lump (see below).
Its form doesn’t have anything to do with how the umbilical cord was clamped or cut, or even how the cord was looked after in the first few days and weeks after birth.
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Does it change?
Your belly button may well change throughout your life, especially during pregnancy.
This shows you that the developing foetus is growing in size but don’t worry if your belly button doesn’t change!
It is a weak area in the abdomen, as the pressure of the developing pregnancy and size of the womb increases.
If you have an ‘innie’ type belly button, it may well pop out to become an ‘outie’.
This change generally isn’t permanent, as the pressure and size of the abdomen decreases after delivery.
However, some women report that their belly button does not return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape.
Why does it smell?
The navel is essentially a hollow or fold of skin, so it is easy for dirt and bacteria to accumulate inside it.
If you have an ‘innie’, you are likely to have found some lint at some point, as the belly button can collect fluff and other debris, which can be cleaned out during washing.
The most common reason for having a smelly belly button is poor hygiene, but some people have particularly deep belly buttons which can be harder to clean.
If you have obesity or a disability, it may also be harder to clean the navel.
How to clean your belly button
THERE'S no exact rule for how often you should clean your belly button.
But incorporating it into your daily routine is a good way to go about it.
"Daily showers help in removing a lot of the bacteria, sebum and dead skin cells," Dr Tosin Ajayi-Sotubo, GP, founder of Mind Body Doctor and presenter of TV show Embarrassing Bodies, said.
"However, you should also aim to do a specific clean, focused on the belly button once a week."
If you work out a lot, it might be a good idea to give your navel a more frequent scrub.
Keep your cleaning process simple - use your hands, some soap and water and be gentle.
You can use a wet cotton bud if your belly button is particularly deep.
Use a mild or fragrance-free soap if your skin is sensitive.
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Even if you can and do have good hygiene, if the belly button is still smelly or you have other symptoms then there could be an infection.
These other symptoms can include redness or swelling around the belly button and a discharge which could be green or yellow, as well as pain and discomfort, or even a fever.
Bacteria and fungi can thrive in the warm, often slightly moist environment of the belly button, and you may need treatment from your doctor, like antibiotic or antifungal creams or ointments.
Is there a lump?
There are various types of hernias which can present as a lump in or around the belly button.
Your muscles are usually strong and tight enough to keep your organs and intestines in place, but a hernia can develop if there are any weak spots, causing internal organs to bulge through the muscle wall of your abdomen.
An umbilical hernia is a weakness in the belly button, allowing a bulge of bowel and/or fat and tissue to protrude as a mass, while a paraumbilical hernia is a weakness just around the belly button.
Umbilical hernias are quite common in babies, particularly those that are premature, and can lead to a painless lump.
You may notice that the lump seems to get bigger when the baby is crying or straining - for example pushing to open their bowels.
When they stop crying and relax, or when they lie down, the mass decreases in size.
In babies, these often resolve by about age four or five as the muscles get stronger.
Umbilical hernias can occur at any age, and if they haven’t resolved by about four or five, or occur later, then an operation is generally recommended.
Surgery is also carried out for paraumbilical hernias.
This is because there is a risk of complications, such as strangulation, where a part of the bowel becomes trapped and cuts off its own blood supply.
This can lead to severe pain, or obstruction, where a section of bowel becomes blocked.
If you notice any lump or mass in your abdomen, whether it is around the belly button or not, please see your doctor.
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What does it mean if it makes stones?
The medical term for a belly button or navel stone is an omphalolith.
This means there is a buildup of dead skin, sebum, or even hair or dirt, which combines to form a stone.
They can vary in size from small to large, and can be deep, or protrude, or look rather like a blackhead in the umbilicus.
Stones in the navel don’t tend to be painful, but can irritate the skin and cause infection.
They should be removed. Depending on the size and location, this might be possible using a pair of forceps, which are rather like tweezers, but sometimes a small incision is required.
Why is my belly button itchy?
Your belly button is covered in skin and so can be affected by various skin conditions just like any other area of the body.
These include eczema and psoriasis, which can lead to itching.
Fungal infection or bacterial infections may also lead to itching.
You can have a mole around your belly button, and if this changes or becomes itchy, please see your doctor.
Can you have belly button cancer?
It's rare to have cancer of the belly button itself, but it is possible.
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It is also possible that an abdominal or pelvic cancer can spread to the belly button - though this too is uncommon.
If you have any changes or concerns about your belly button, please see your doctor.
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