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.
What does it mean if your belly button stinks?
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 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.
What does it mean if your belly button stinks?
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.
How do I deep clean my belly button?
Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently rub the surfaces inside your bellybutton. If the swab gets dirty, throw it away and start a new one. Once the cotton swab comes out clean, use a fresh one dipped in water to rinse the alcohol out of your bellybutton so it doesn’t dry your skin.
Is belly button infection serious?
Bacterial Infection If you think you have an infection in your belly button, you should call your doctor so that you can have the area cleaned carefully. You may also need prescription antibiotics to kill the bacteria before it spread to other parts of your body.
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.
Why does my belly button smell of cheese?
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.
What happens if you don’t clean your belly button?
Without getting in there and cleaning your belly button on the regular, the lingering gunk — e.g. dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, clothing fabric, and bacteria — can collect and “cause odor or even an infection,” says Dr.
Can a smelly belly button be serious?
It’s usually harmless, but under the right conditions—say, the warm and moist habitat a belly button provides—it can grow into a full-blown yeast infection, says Dr. Minars. This is why proper and consistent cleaning of the area is so important, especially within folds of skin.
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.
What does it mean if your belly button stinks?
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 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.
Why does my belly button get wet and smell?
Dirt, bacteria, fungus, and germs can get trapped inside your belly button and start to multiply, which can cause an infection. If you develop a belly button infection, you might notice white, yellow, brown, or bloody discharge seeping out of it. That discharge might also have an unpleasant smell.
What happens if you pick your belly button too much?
And in a worst-case scenario, if things get too out-of-hand, your belly button could start to leak a brownish, yellow, or white discharge, which signals a bacterial or yeast infection, says Dr.
How do you get rid of a belly button infection at home?
Salt Water- Salt water is really good and can easily cure itching and swelling around the navel region. It even protects the further growth of the bacteria on the navel. It can help to control the moisture present in the navel region.
How do I stop my belly button from discharging?
If discharge and crust stick around after you wash your belly button, you should see your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe a prescription or over-the-counter antibacterial or anti-fungal cream or ointment. It depends on the type of infection. In some cases, you may need antibiotic pills.
Are belly button infections common?
Infections are the most common cause of belly button discharge. People who have recently had abdominal surgery may be at risk.
Are you supposed to clean your belly button?
To prevent sweat, dead skin cells, oils and other kinds of gunk building up inside your belly button, it’s important to keep the area clean using warm water and mild soap. Use a damp cloth to gently clean in and around the belly button, then rinse with clean water and dry off with a towel.
What are the symptoms of a belly button infection?
If you have an infected epidermoid cyst lurking in your belly button, it will probably look red, feel painful, and may have a smelly yellow or green discharge, Dr. Kaminska says.
Can I put hydrogen peroxide in my belly button?
“If you have a more persistent odor issue, clean inside your navel with a Q-Tip dipped in hydrogen peroxide,” says Chunbai Zhang, MD, Chief of Employee and Occupational Health at the Puget Sound VA and a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
