For many people, the belly button is the focal point of their bodies. Your midsection is constantly exposed in summer when you are at the pool or beach. Not only is there pressure to have a nicely toned midsection, it can be embarrassing if you are emitting a foul odor from your belly button. Some people even get a dark, whitish, or clear discharge from their belly button.

There are a few conditions that can cause belly button discharge. Patent urachus or a urachal cyst are a couple reasons why you could have belly button discharge. Sometimes people get debris caught inside the belly button. The debris inside the belly button can cause irritation of the skin and lead to an infection. On some people, an abscess can form and cause a foul-smelling odor. The smell is bacteria that do not use oxygen and produce the foul odors. Your body will send white blood cells to the infection to fight it off and control the infection from worsening. Your doctor may need to perform surgery and prescribe antibiotics if the infection worsens. The infection may also be a yeast infection in the belly button.

Patent urachus
A surgery called patent urachus will be performed to correct a urachus tube that fails to close after birth. The urachus tube is a small tube that connects the fecal bladder to the umbilical cord. Patent urachus repair is a surgery to close a defect of the bladder. When a baby grows inside the womb, the urachus will normally close. If the urachus fails to close, you need to have a surgery performed to close it. Having an abnormal opening between the bladder and the area where the umbilical cord was removed, will increase the risk for bladder infections.

This condition is more common in females than in males. The discharge that drains out of the belly button is actually urine. Surgery for patent urachus will require several days in the hospital. Generally recovery from patent urachus is quick and most people do not experience reoccurring problems. Patent urachus may heal on its own in about two months, but you will need to watch it closely so it does not get infected. There have been rare cases where it does not heal and it presents a problem later in life. If patent urachus does not heal and reoccurs later in life, it can reappear as swelling and discharging urine or mucus from a cyst.

You may also experience inflamed lumps around the belly button. These lumps that form may cause persistent infection in the individual and it leads to cysts and other things. If you think you have belly button discharge, you should collect a sample for the doctor to perform laboratory testing on. Your doctor will take a swab of the mucus or liquid when you get to their office and send it away for testing.

Urachal cyst
A urachal cyst is a cyst occurring in a persistent portion of the urachus. It is a large infection that presents itself as a large mass in the umbilical region. If you have a urachal cyst, you will experience abdominal pain and a fever if it becomes infected. If it bursts, the fluid will drain through the belly button. A urachal cyst is a rare condition that affects 1 in 2,000 people.

In order to treat a urachal cyst, you need a doctor to lance it. Bactine or hydrogen peroxide will then need to be applied to the cyst several times a day. Use antibacterial soap to cleanse the urachal cyst in the shower.

 Yeast Infection
Some people who experience belly button discharge may have a yeast infection. A yeast infection is simply an overgrowth of fungus. During a yeast infection, you may experience painful itching and burning. A yeast infection can be treated with antifungal creams. Some people may need to have a prescription for a yeast infection. There are also home remedies for yeast infections. You can apply plain yogurt to the yeast infection and it will reduce the painful itching you may experience.

If your child has a yeast infection on their belly button, you need to speak with their pediatrician about treatment options. Many children cannot have antifungal creams applied to their stomachs as it may cause further irritation.

A yeast infection will cause the belly button to become inflamed and red. It will itch and burn and you will get the urge to scratch. Resist the urge to scratch, as this only worsens the condition. Instead, use a cold compress on the belly button area to reduce your need to scratch. Ointments are another great way to reduce the burning and itching sensation of a yeast infection.

If you have been treating the yeast infection for at least 7 days and you still are not getting relief, you need to speak with your doctor. If your yeast infection was properly treated and then returned within 2 months, you need to speak with a medical professional.

Thrush
Thrush can also occur on the belly button and in the mouth after birth. Thrush is white patches in the mouth and on the tongue. Thrush can appear on other places of the body, like the belly button. Thrush is a yeast called candida that grows out of control. Thrush usually occurs in babies because their immune systems are not strong enough to fight off the growth of yeast. Elderly individuals also experience thrush as their immune system begins to deteriorate.

Thrush looks like cottage cheese or milk curds. Generally it looks like you should be able to wipe these patches of whiteness away, but you can't. You should not attempt to wipe the patches away, as this will only cause further irritation and make the patches red and sore. A doctor can tell if your baby has thrush by looking at the white patches. For adults, your doctor may discuss further medical information with you. Your family history will be talked about as it could be linked to something else such as diabetes.

Thrush is normally not serious and can be treated with antifungal medicine such as nystatin liquid. You simply put the medication on the white patches and over time they will cease. For a baby with thrush, they may also develop a diaper rash at the same time. Use some diaper ointment to reduce the rash at the same time you are treating their thrush. Some babies may need nystatin cream for their diaper rash. For an adult, you will use medicine that is applied directly onto the white patches using a liquid dropper or lozenge. If the nystatin cream doesn't work, then your doctor may need to prescribe an antifungal pill.

 The best way to prevent thrush from reoccurring is to cleanse the area thoroughly after it has healed. If you have a baby, make sure you clean the bottle nipples and pacifiers regularly. Boil the bottles, nipples, and pacifiers in water at least once a day. If you are breast feeding your baby, you should cleanse your nipples with nystatin. Unfortunately a breast-fed baby will pass the yeast infection to their mother and the mother will pass it back to the child.

Thrush is common in obese people whose belly button does not get a lot of air. When your belly button becomes moist and warm, bacteria is prone to grow quickly. Keeping your belly button area clean and dry will prevent thrush from occurring.

If your doctor cannot identify why your belly button is producing discharge or a foul-smell, you can try some home remedies. Cleanse the belly button daily with salt water and allow the salt to harden on the belly button. Once the salt has hardened, brush it off. The salt will absorb any moisture the leaks from the belly button and it will "coat" the smell. Using talc powder will also help your belly button stay dry. If you are prone to sweating, you should cleanse the belly button area 3 to 4 times a day and re-apply talc powder inside the belly button. Too much moisture in a dark, warm area will harbor bacteria.

For individuals who are experiencing a yeast infection or thrush in the belly button, you should avoid over-cleansing the area. Too much cleansing will cause irritation to the skin and will actually worsen your condition. A yeast infection is contagious and if irritated, it will grow on other places of the skin.

Using hydrogen peroxide in the belly button will also help to heal up any infections you may have and it will help "control" the odor that is coming from your belly button. Some people have even noticed that changing their diet causes the belly button to have a different smell. The foods you consume will come out of your body through sweat and when the sweat accumulates in the belly button, it will produce a foul smell. Pour hydrogen peroxide on the belly button and allow it to remain there for 1 to 2 minutes. The bacteria in the belly button will be destroyed and you will have a "fresh" smelling belly button.