Belly Button Discharge, Smelly Discharge

Belly button discharge  or smelly discharge from belly button can be quite an embarrassing problem but definitely something that you should treat soon enough. The belly button or the navel is actually a scar that is left after the birth. Though most of us do not pay much heed to it, whenever there is a discharge from the belly button, one does feel tensed. Here are the reasons

Causes of smelly discharge from belly button

1. Not keeping the area clean: Debris and dirt can get trapped inside, causing itchy belly button, which can result in infection.

2. Candidasis: Just likes yeast infection in the vagina, there can be white patches in the belly button, that resemble curd or cottage cheese. Thrush is a particular variety of yeast known as Candida. They can grow fast and people with weak immune system can be prone to Candidasis.

3. Sepsis-Septicemia: Belly button piercing is a style thing these days, but the pierced belly button can lead to infection, bleeding and influx of pathogens. Yellowish green fluid known as sepsis septicemia comes out, one of the major reasons for belly button piercing infection.

4. Inflamation of the skin around belly button: If the surrounding tissue is inflamed, there can be pus accumulation and foul smelling odor from the belly button.

5. Patent Urachus: There is a little tube that joins the fetal bladder to the umbilical cord called Urachus Tube. In certain cases, this tube may not close after birth. A surgery in this case, known as patent urachus has to be done to treat this defect. If the surgery does not heal, it can result in smelly urine and mucus from the csyt.

6. Urachal Cyst: Urachal cyst is a condition that is followed by abdominal pain and rise in the temperature of the body. The cyst can burst inside, making fluid come out of the navel, which is in the form of smelly discharge from the belly button.

How to treat smelly belly button discharge

1. The good thing is that the discharge usually does not last long, because if your immune system is even moderately strong, it can fight off the bacteria and stop the infection.

2. There are antibiotics that the doctor can prescribe to treat belly button infection.

3. If yeast infection is the reason for belly button discharge, then use over-the-counter anti fungal creams. You can also use yogurt as a treatment for smelly discharge from navel. For thrush in the belly button, there is an anti fungal medicine called nystatin liquid. Put one or two drops of this liquid on the navel area twice a day.If the patient is under 18, it is better to get the condition checked by the doctor and not use over-the –counter medication.

4. For urachal cyst treatment, one should clean the belly button with anti bacterial soap at least once in day. Then apply hydrogen peroxide or Benzalkonium chloride on the cyst 4-5 times a day.

5. The easiest and effective natural remedy to treat itchy belly button is to place a cube of ice on the area.

6. Clean the belly button with salt water, the salt hardens on the navel and absorbs the discharge from the belly button, reducing the bad smell. Once the salt becomes hard, you can brush it off.

7. Keep the belly button area clean and non-sweaty by apply fresh talcum powder that can arrest fungal and bacterial growth.

In case, after the above means of treatment, the belly button discharge and smell does not go, you can consult with your doctor.