Why Does My Belly Button Smell (Reasons Revealed)

Each and every human being has a belly button though it is not used for any specific purpose during the entire lifetime of the individual. However, it is this belly button which attached the human fetus to the umbilical chord which finally was attached to the mothers’ uterus from where the infant derived oxygen and other nutrition which helped it grow as a normal fetus and take birth in this world.

Though this belly button is not used much, this belly button is often the breeding ground for bacteria. Especially if the belly button is a little deep and in case you have your belly button pierced. Researches prove that the belly button can be the breeding ground for almost 67 types of bacteria and thus this region can get infections if proper hygiene is not maintained. In case you have face situations where you thought why does my belly button smell? then you should understand the various causes which can make your belly button smelly and at times make you uncomfortable too.

Why Does My Belly Button Smell?

Your belly button is a region of slight to moderate indentation depending on your body structure. Therefore, this area might have slight naval odours given the sweat and other pollutants getting deposited in this region. However, minor hygiene maintenance can relieve you of this minor odour. In case the smell persists even after first hand cleaning of the region and in case the smell is accompanied with some discharges or a wet feeling, the issue should not be taken lightly. If you feel your belly button smells and feel wet, it can be a clear indication of an infection or a much serious trouble. Thus should be immediately consulted with a medical practitioner in order to identify the appropriate reasons.

The discharges and smell in the belly button region can be a result of various issues which needs to be identified timely and proper treatment or care should be taken in order to manage such issue. Some of the symptoms which need to be monitored carefully include

Fluid discharge or a wet discharge
Swelling or redness
Fever
Pain around the belly button
Lump in the abdomen
Pain in the abdomen
Pain while urinating
Itching
Scab around the belly button

Though dirt and lack of hygiene are considered to be the most prominent reasons for foul smelling belly buttons. Some of the prominent causes of foul smell and discharge from the belly button include

Fungal or Yeast Infection in The Belly Button: One of the probable reason for such foul smell would be the growth of a yeast called Candida which usually grows in dark, moist, and warm environments, and thus mostly affect the underarms, groin, and unclean belly button regions.
Bacterial Infection of The Belly Button: The bacterial infections are more common in case the belly button has been subjected to any kind of piercing. The bacterial infection can be inferred in case the belly button emits a foul smelling yellow or green discharge. Such a discharge can also be accompanied by pain, swelling and a scab around the belly button.
Poor Hygiene Conditions leading to accumulation of sweat, dirt, deadly sin, oil, and other debris in the belly button region which helps in bacterial or fungal infection.
Any recent surgery of the abdomen further enhances the risk of infection of the belly button and adjoining areas. There are also chances that any would or bruise in and around the belly button can give rise to the foul smell and/or discharges.
Formation of Cysts: the belly button can also be affected by a cyst formation in and around the region. While Epidermoid cyst is a bump like formation which is formed on the topmost layer of the skin, a Pilar cyst usually form near a hair follicle around the region. In case any of such cysts grow large and bursts, foul smelling, thick and colored (often yellow colored) discharge is experienced. There is also a possibility of this cyst getting affected and infected by other external factors and thus, immediate medical intervention is recommended. There is also a possibility of a sebaceous cyst formation which originates in the sebaceous glands. Though the occurrence of such cysts is much less common as compared to the Pilar or Epidermoid Cysts.

Though minor smell either a sweaty or a cheesy smell is common and is indicative of the fact that the belly button cleaning is due, more sever smells needs to be paid heed to. It is advisable that people should commonly take situations where they question why their belly button smells and stinks seriously. This would help them prevent bigger problems of infections and cystic formations in and around the belly button.

[cl-review quote=”Medically Reviewed By” author=”Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)” occupation=”Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad” avatar_image=”1325″ source=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdr-kaushal-bhavsar-a8137355%2F|target:_blank”]