Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesIs It Contagious?DiagnosisTreatmentWhat to ExpectSelf-Care StrategiesPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Is It Contagious?
Diagnosis
Treatment
What to Expect
Self-Care Strategies
Prevention
Yeast infections can crop up in many places, including yourbelly button. A belly button yeast infection is afungal infectionthat affects the skin around your navel.
Belly button yeast infections cause a bright red, itchy rash. The medical name for this infection isCandidiasis. It happens when yeast that usually lives on your skin grows out of control.
This article discusses the symptoms of belly button yeast infection, its causes, and treatment options.
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Symptoms of Belly Button Yeast Infection
A belly button yeast infection typically causes a bright red rash on the skin of your navel. It might itch or burn. You may also notice:
Typically, belly button yeast infections don’t cause a strong odor. However, you may observe a slight musty smell.
How to Know If It Is Fungal or BacterialKnowing if a fungus orbacteriumcauses a skin infection is sometimes challenging. However, these infections are treated differently. It’s important to see a healthcare professional who can accurately diagnose you.
How to Know If It Is Fungal or Bacterial
Knowing if a fungus orbacteriumcauses a skin infection is sometimes challenging. However, these infections are treated differently. It’s important to see a healthcare professional who can accurately diagnose you.
What Causes a Belly Button Yeast Infection?
Like the rest of your skin, your belly button naturally has yeast. This isn’t usually a problem. However, if the yeast grows too much, it can cause a yeast infection in the folds of your navel.
Yeast tends to overgrow in warm, moist environments. You may be more likely to develop a belly button yeast infection if you:
Who Is at Risk?People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system, such asdiabetesandpsoriasis, are more likely to develop yeast infections.Pregnant people and overweight individuals are also at risk.
Who Is at Risk?
People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system, such asdiabetesandpsoriasis, are more likely to develop yeast infections.Pregnant people and overweight individuals are also at risk.
How Being Pregnant Affects Your Belly Button
Are Belly Button Yeast Infections Contagious?
Typically, belly button yeast infections aren’t contagious.However, people with weakened immune systems might have an increased risk of contracting a yeast infection if they are around someone with one.
A Word From VerywellBelly buttons can present with the medical problem of a yeast infection. When the area becomes red, itchy, and possibly odorous, it is time to take action. OTC antifungal creams may help, but if the symptoms persist or worsen, it is time to seek medical advice.—WILLIAM TRUSWELL, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Belly buttons can present with the medical problem of a yeast infection. When the area becomes red, itchy, and possibly odorous, it is time to take action. OTC antifungal creams may help, but if the symptoms persist or worsen, it is time to seek medical advice.—WILLIAM TRUSWELL, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Belly buttons can present with the medical problem of a yeast infection. When the area becomes red, itchy, and possibly odorous, it is time to take action. OTC antifungal creams may help, but if the symptoms persist or worsen, it is time to seek medical advice.
—WILLIAM TRUSWELL, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
How Is a Belly Button Yeast Infection Diagnosed?
If the skin around your belly button is red and irritated, it’s important to consult with a medical professional to get an accurate diagnosis.
What Is Intertrigo?Intertrigois a skin condition that happens when the folds of the skin rub together. It commonly leads to a fungal infection, such as a belly button yeast infection.
What Is Intertrigo?
Intertrigois a skin condition that happens when the folds of the skin rub together. It commonly leads to a fungal infection, such as a belly button yeast infection.
How Is a Belly Button Yeast Infection Treated?
Your healthcare provider might recommend anantifungal cream, ointment, or powder to treat your belly button yeast infection.Some of these products can be found over the counter (OTC), while others require a prescription. They are applied directly to the skin in and around your navel.
Sometimes, providers will prescribe an oral medication, like Diflucan (fluconazole), to treat a stubborn infection.
What to Expect If You Have a Belly Button Yeast Infection
If you have a yeast infection, you may have red, irritated skin on and around your belly button. Often, these infections will heal on their own if you keep the area dry and clean. However, many people respond well to antifungal medication. Your infection should start to clear up within two weeks of taking the treatment.
Will it Come Back?Belly button yeast infections often recur, particularly if you don’t clean the area. People with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience infections that come back.
Will it Come Back?
Belly button yeast infections often recur, particularly if you don’t clean the area. People with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience infections that come back.
Home Remedies and Self-Care Strategies
You may be able to help manage a belly button yeast infection at home with these measures:
How to Prevent Belly Button Yeast Infections
Keep your navel dry and clean to help prevent a belly button yeast infection. Showering with soap and water should be enough to keep your belly button clean. Don’t apply lotions or creams to your belly button; these products can invite fungal growth.
Losing weight may also aid in slowing the growth of yeast. Additionally, if you have diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels under control can prevent yeast buildup.
Summary
A belly button yeast infection happens when the yeast grows out of control in your navel region. It’s typically red, itchy, and sometimes painful. There are several over-the-counter and prescription treatments that are available as topical and oral medications.
See your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a belly button yeast infection so you can get proper treatment and care.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.MedlinePlus.Skin infections.Science Scholar Journal.What causes belly button infections? Know the symptoms and remedies.Mohammed L, Jha G, Malasevskaia I, Goud HK, Hassan A.The interplay between sugar and yeast infections: do diabetics have a greater predisposition to develop oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis?Cureus. 13(2):e13407. doi:10.7759/cureus.13407Mount Sinai.Candida infection of the skin.Metin A, Dilek N, Bilgili SG.Recurrent candidal intertrigo: Challenges and solutions.Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:175-185. doi:10.2147/CCID.S127841MedlinePlus.Fluconazole.Wróblewska M, Szymańska E, Winnicka K.The influence of tea tree oil on antifungal activity and pharmaceutical characteristics of pluronic® f-127 gel formulations with ketoconazole.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(21):11326. doi:10.3390/ijms222111326Wu Y, Hu S, Wu C, Gu F, Yang Y.Probiotics: potential novel therapeutics against fungal infections.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;11:793419. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.793419Shino B, Peedikayil FC, Jaiprakash SR, et al.Comparison of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, coconut oil, probiotics, and ketoconazole oncandida albicansisolated in children with early childhood caries: an in vitro study.Scientifica. 2016;2016:e7061587. doi:10.1155/2016/7061587UPMC.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.MedlinePlus.Skin infections.Science Scholar Journal.What causes belly button infections? Know the symptoms and remedies.Mohammed L, Jha G, Malasevskaia I, Goud HK, Hassan A.The interplay between sugar and yeast infections: do diabetics have a greater predisposition to develop oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis?Cureus. 13(2):e13407. doi:10.7759/cureus.13407Mount Sinai.Candida infection of the skin.Metin A, Dilek N, Bilgili SG.Recurrent candidal intertrigo: Challenges and solutions.Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:175-185. doi:10.2147/CCID.S127841MedlinePlus.Fluconazole.Wróblewska M, Szymańska E, Winnicka K.The influence of tea tree oil on antifungal activity and pharmaceutical characteristics of pluronic® f-127 gel formulations with ketoconazole.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(21):11326. doi:10.3390/ijms222111326Wu Y, Hu S, Wu C, Gu F, Yang Y.Probiotics: potential novel therapeutics against fungal infections.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;11:793419. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.793419Shino B, Peedikayil FC, Jaiprakash SR, et al.Comparison of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, coconut oil, probiotics, and ketoconazole oncandida albicansisolated in children with early childhood caries: an in vitro study.Scientifica. 2016;2016:e7061587. doi:10.1155/2016/7061587UPMC.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidiasis.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.MedlinePlus.Skin infections.Science Scholar Journal.What causes belly button infections? Know the symptoms and remedies.Mohammed L, Jha G, Malasevskaia I, Goud HK, Hassan A.The interplay between sugar and yeast infections: do diabetics have a greater predisposition to develop oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis?Cureus. 13(2):e13407. doi:10.7759/cureus.13407Mount Sinai.Candida infection of the skin.Metin A, Dilek N, Bilgili SG.Recurrent candidal intertrigo: Challenges and solutions.Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:175-185. doi:10.2147/CCID.S127841MedlinePlus.Fluconazole.Wróblewska M, Szymańska E, Winnicka K.The influence of tea tree oil on antifungal activity and pharmaceutical characteristics of pluronic® f-127 gel formulations with ketoconazole.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(21):11326. doi:10.3390/ijms222111326Wu Y, Hu S, Wu C, Gu F, Yang Y.Probiotics: potential novel therapeutics against fungal infections.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;11:793419. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.793419Shino B, Peedikayil FC, Jaiprakash SR, et al.Comparison of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, coconut oil, probiotics, and ketoconazole oncandida albicansisolated in children with early childhood caries: an in vitro study.Scientifica. 2016;2016:e7061587. doi:10.1155/2016/7061587UPMC.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Candidiasis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.
MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
Science Scholar Journal.What causes belly button infections? Know the symptoms and remedies.
Mohammed L, Jha G, Malasevskaia I, Goud HK, Hassan A.The interplay between sugar and yeast infections: do diabetics have a greater predisposition to develop oral and vulvovaginal candidiasis?Cureus. 13(2):e13407. doi:10.7759/cureus.13407
Mount Sinai.Candida infection of the skin.
Metin A, Dilek N, Bilgili SG.Recurrent candidal intertrigo: Challenges and solutions.Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:175-185. doi:10.2147/CCID.S127841
MedlinePlus.Fluconazole.
Wróblewska M, Szymańska E, Winnicka K.The influence of tea tree oil on antifungal activity and pharmaceutical characteristics of pluronic® f-127 gel formulations with ketoconazole.Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(21):11326. doi:10.3390/ijms222111326
Wu Y, Hu S, Wu C, Gu F, Yang Y.Probiotics: potential novel therapeutics against fungal infections.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;11:793419. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.793419
Shino B, Peedikayil FC, Jaiprakash SR, et al.Comparison of antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine, coconut oil, probiotics, and ketoconazole oncandida albicansisolated in children with early childhood caries: an in vitro study.Scientifica. 2016;2016:e7061587. doi:10.1155/2016/7061587
UPMC.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.
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