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6 things that can go terribly wrong with your navel
When was the last time you thought about your navel, better known as your belly button? Probably when you were a child and a sibling or friend asked, “Do you have an innie or an outie?”
Well, whichever it is, make sure you pay close attention if you start having persistent belly button pain.
After all, your navel is there because it was once the connection to your lifeline. It still sits in close proximity to a lot of your vital organs.
So when your navel sends pain signals, you should listen…
6 conditions your navel may warn you about
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1. Sebaceous cyst
Your sebaceous glands produce sebum, an oil that coats your skin and hair. If the oil clogs the duct to these glands, a cyst develops. It appears as a lump under the skin that moves when you touch it.
You may ignore very small cysts, but one that is large, swollen or painful will need to be drained by your doctor and surgically removed. It’s unusual for another benign cyst to occur immediately after the first is removed, so if you do have a reoccurrence, see your doctor right away.
2. Umbilical hernia
When a baby is born, the umbilical cord passes through an opening between the abdominal wall muscles. In most cases, the hole closes soon after birth. When it doesn’t, the intestine bulges through the weak spot around the belly button.
In adults, an umbilical hernia usually results from excess pressure being put on a weak section of the abdominal muscle. Potential causes include:
- being overweight
- frequent pregnancies or multiple births
- abdominal surgery
- having a persistent, heavy cough
A strangulated umbilical hernia occurs when the part of the intestine that is bulging out can’t be pushed back in. It begins to lose blood supply, leading to a possible life-threatening infection. Emergency surgery is required.
3. Candidiasis
If you’re pregnant, obese or on antibiotics, you are more prone to this infection.
Your belly button is the perfect home for the fungus candida, which thrives in dark, warm, moist places. It can cause a rash of dry, itchy, swollen skin, possibly along with a thick white discharge.
Keeping your navel clean and wearing loose clothing in hot, humid weather are two ways to prevent this condition. If it does occur, treat it with antifungal creams, powder or lotion.
4. Sister Mary Joseph’s Nodule
Named for the surgical assistant who first noticed the condition and linked it to cancer, Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule is a metastasized cancer of the pelvic or abdominal area that is bulging into the navel.
The nodule may be the result of a malignancy in the ovaries, uterus, abdomen, colon or pancreas. It may leak fluid and can range in color from white to brownish red. Other signs of this cancer include a bloated belly, nausea, weight loss and bleeding when using the bathroom.
5. Gallstones
Most gall stones are made of a buildup of excess cholesterol. Some are made from bilirubin, a pigment formed in the liver when hemoglobin is broken down.
Intense pain that travels from the abdomen to the belly button is usually the first sign of gall stones. Surgery is the only way to relieve this problem.
With gall stones, eating fatty foods will kick off intense abdominal pain. Other symptoms include dark urine, clay-colored stools, indigestion, diarrhea and nausea.
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6. Pancreatitis
Belly button pain is a classic symptom of this dangerous inflammation of the pancreas. Digestive enzymes become activated too soon, before they leave the pancreas, causing irritation and inflammation.
Common causes of pancreatitis are alcoholism, cigarette smoking and certain medications. However, it can also be the result of gallstones, high blood triglycerides or an injury. Cystic fibrosis, a progressive genetic disease that causes recurring lung infections, is highly associated with pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis can be acute, but it often develops into a chronic condition that can lead to type 1 diabetes as the pancreas becomes too damaged to produce insulin.
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Sources:
- Things That Can Go Wrong With Your Belly Button — WebMD
- Common causes of belly button pain — medicalnewstoday.co
By Joyce Hollman
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