Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentBelly Button Care TipsWhen to Call a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Belly Button Care Tips
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
If you notice belly button discharge, you may have a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection. But other things, such as cysts and poor hygiene, can also cause your belly button to leak fluid.Obesitycan lead to extra skin folds that trap bacteria, or diabetes might increase the risk of infection.
In some cases, you may notice yellowish fluid with a foul odor leaking from thebelly button(navel), the site that marks where your umbilical cord was tied off at birth. Or you may find clear belly button discharge and cracked, itchy skin. Symptoms can offer clues to a diagnosis.
JGI / Getty Images
If your belly button is leaking fluid, you may experience the following:
If an odor persists after you wash and dry your belly button, you may want a healthcare provider to assess the symptoms. It could indicate an infection.
Human skin houses a lot of bacteria, with studies showing more diverse bacteria at the navel than other body sites.In one 2020 study, researchers found 302 bacterial genera (genus types) in the swabs of 22 belly buttons, withCorynebacteriumandStaphylococcustypes occurring most often.
Skin bacteria is normal. But when the skin is damaged or moist, it can lead to problems. There are some common causes of belly button discharge.
Bacterial Infection
Anybacterial skin infectioncan impact the belly button. Skin infections can occur when bacteria that typically live on the skin enter the body through a cut or wound.
Risk factors for developing a skin infection include:
Scratches, navelpiercings, and surgical incisions are common belly button injuries that can lead to an infection.
Post-Surgical InfectionA surgical incision (especiallylaparoscopic surgery) through the navel increases your risk of a belly button infection.Healthcare providers use laparoscopic surgery through the belly button for abdominal and pelvic surgeries, includinghernia repair.
Post-Surgical Infection
A surgical incision (especiallylaparoscopic surgery) through the navel increases your risk of a belly button infection.Healthcare providers use laparoscopic surgery through the belly button for abdominal and pelvic surgeries, includinghernia repair.
Fungal Infection
Fungal infections occur when yeast overgrows in moist conditions. Belly buttons are an optimal place for yeast overgrowth due to their dark, concave location, which can harbor excess moisture.
If you have a fungal infection in your belly button, you may experience the following symptoms:
Cysts
A cyst is a fluid-filled growth that can occur anywhere in the body, including the belly button. Several types of cysts can occur in the belly button, including:
If a cyst causes your belly button drainage, you may also notice a lump just under the skin.
Treating a leaking belly button depends on the cause. For example, a healthcare provider treats an infection based on whether it’s bacterial or fungal. A condition that increases your risk, like diabetes, also may need to be managed.
Treatments for belly button discharge may include:
If a healthcare provider prescribes medication, be sure to take all of the medicine according to their advice, even if you start to feel better. Keep your infection or wound clean following treatment to limit the likelihood of reinfection.
How Long Belly Button Discharge Will LastHow long it takes to resolve belly button discharge depends on the cause and the treatment. For example, antifungal or antibiotic treatment typically can take a week or more to work, but you may have instant relief from cyst drainage.
How Long Belly Button Discharge Will Last
How long it takes to resolve belly button discharge depends on the cause and the treatment. For example, antifungal or antibiotic treatment typically can take a week or more to work, but you may have instant relief from cyst drainage.
Good hygiene practices can help reduce your chance of infection. Avoid using creams or lotions inside your belly button, which can make matters worse. To keep your belly button clean, follow these tips:
See your healthcare provider if you experience belly button pain, discharge that doesn’t resolve, or a foul smell. Let them know if you also experience new bleeding or swelling at the site.
Avoid placing creams or lotions on your belly button unless a healthcare provider tells you to. That’s because these can trap moisture and lead to more problems. However, sometimes, treatment will include topical antibiotics or antifungal creams.
A healthcare provider may need to assess belly button discharge that doesn’t resolve on its own, or that gets worse despite home remedies and over-the-counter treatment. For example, you may need a prescription to treat an infection.
Contact your provider right away about skin infection symptoms that don’t resolve, such as fever. These symptoms can include:
Summary
Bacterial infections, fungal infections, and cysts may cause belly button discharge. Belly buttons can become infected if the skin is cracked, overly moist, or pierced. In addition, laparoscopic surgery through the navel may pose a risk for infection. Treatment includes medication and drainage.
Keeping your belly button clean and dry can significantly reduce the likelihood of a smelly, itchy, leaky, or infected belly button. Put a wet washcloth over a finger and work soapy water into your belly button, or try salt water. Rinse with plain water and thoroughly dry your belly button.
11 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.Banner Health.How to recognize and treat belly button infections.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.Yano T, Okajima T, Tsuchiya S, Tsujimura H.Microbiota in umbilical dirt and its relationship with odor.Microbes Environ. 2023;38(3):ME23007. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME23007Shah S, Donze-Reiner T, Shah V.Diversity of navel microbiome in young adults.J Med Microbiol.2020 May;69(5):721-727. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.001192Merck Manual Consumer Version.Overview of bacterial skin infections.Tomioka K, Murakami M, Fujimori A, et al.Risk factors for transumbilical wound complications in laparoscopic gastric and colorectal surgery.In Vivo. 2017;31(5):943-948. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11151Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.Das JP, Vargas HA, Lee A, Hutchinson B, O’Connor E, Kok HK,et al.The urachus revisited: multimodal imaging of benign & malignant urachal pathology.Br J Radiol. 2020 Jun;93(1110):20190118. doi:10.1259/bjr.20190118Kaplan RL.Omphalitis: clinical presentation and approach to evaluation and management.Pediatr Emerg Care. 2023;39(3):188-189. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-054189Hoang VT, Trinh CT, Nguyen CH, Chansomphou V, Chansomphou V, Tran TTT.Overview of epidermoid cyst.Eur J Radiol Open. 2019;6:291–301. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2019.08.003MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
11 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.Banner Health.How to recognize and treat belly button infections.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.Yano T, Okajima T, Tsuchiya S, Tsujimura H.Microbiota in umbilical dirt and its relationship with odor.Microbes Environ. 2023;38(3):ME23007. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME23007Shah S, Donze-Reiner T, Shah V.Diversity of navel microbiome in young adults.J Med Microbiol.2020 May;69(5):721-727. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.001192Merck Manual Consumer Version.Overview of bacterial skin infections.Tomioka K, Murakami M, Fujimori A, et al.Risk factors for transumbilical wound complications in laparoscopic gastric and colorectal surgery.In Vivo. 2017;31(5):943-948. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11151Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.Das JP, Vargas HA, Lee A, Hutchinson B, O’Connor E, Kok HK,et al.The urachus revisited: multimodal imaging of benign & malignant urachal pathology.Br J Radiol. 2020 Jun;93(1110):20190118. doi:10.1259/bjr.20190118Kaplan RL.Omphalitis: clinical presentation and approach to evaluation and management.Pediatr Emerg Care. 2023;39(3):188-189. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-054189Hoang VT, Trinh CT, Nguyen CH, Chansomphou V, Chansomphou V, Tran TTT.Overview of epidermoid cyst.Eur J Radiol Open. 2019;6:291–301. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2019.08.003MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
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.
Banner Health.How to recognize and treat belly button infections.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.Yano T, Okajima T, Tsuchiya S, Tsujimura H.Microbiota in umbilical dirt and its relationship with odor.Microbes Environ. 2023;38(3):ME23007. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME23007Shah S, Donze-Reiner T, Shah V.Diversity of navel microbiome in young adults.J Med Microbiol.2020 May;69(5):721-727. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.001192Merck Manual Consumer Version.Overview of bacterial skin infections.Tomioka K, Murakami M, Fujimori A, et al.Risk factors for transumbilical wound complications in laparoscopic gastric and colorectal surgery.In Vivo. 2017;31(5):943-948. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11151Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.Das JP, Vargas HA, Lee A, Hutchinson B, O’Connor E, Kok HK,et al.The urachus revisited: multimodal imaging of benign & malignant urachal pathology.Br J Radiol. 2020 Jun;93(1110):20190118. doi:10.1259/bjr.20190118Kaplan RL.Omphalitis: clinical presentation and approach to evaluation and management.Pediatr Emerg Care. 2023;39(3):188-189. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-054189Hoang VT, Trinh CT, Nguyen CH, Chansomphou V, Chansomphou V, Tran TTT.Overview of epidermoid cyst.Eur J Radiol Open. 2019;6:291–301. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2019.08.003MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
Banner Health.How to recognize and treat belly button infections.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.How to clean your belly button and prevent infection.
Yano T, Okajima T, Tsuchiya S, Tsujimura H.Microbiota in umbilical dirt and its relationship with odor.Microbes Environ. 2023;38(3):ME23007. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME23007
Shah S, Donze-Reiner T, Shah V.Diversity of navel microbiome in young adults.J Med Microbiol.2020 May;69(5):721-727. doi:10.1099/jmm.0.001192
Merck Manual Consumer Version.Overview of bacterial skin infections.
Tomioka K, Murakami M, Fujimori A, et al.Risk factors for transumbilical wound complications in laparoscopic gastric and colorectal surgery.In Vivo. 2017;31(5):943-948. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11151
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Yeast infection.
Das JP, Vargas HA, Lee A, Hutchinson B, O’Connor E, Kok HK,et al.The urachus revisited: multimodal imaging of benign & malignant urachal pathology.Br J Radiol. 2020 Jun;93(1110):20190118. doi:10.1259/bjr.20190118
Kaplan RL.Omphalitis: clinical presentation and approach to evaluation and management.Pediatr Emerg Care. 2023;39(3):188-189. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-054189
Hoang VT, Trinh CT, Nguyen CH, Chansomphou V, Chansomphou V, Tran TTT.Overview of epidermoid cyst.Eur J Radiol Open. 2019;6:291–301. doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2019.08.003
MedlinePlus.Skin infections.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
