Belly button discharge

The belly button can easily become infected by Candida, or other fungi - it is just the sort of warm, moist crevice that fungi like. If you have a fungal infection the belly button will look red, and the redness may extend to the surrounding skin for a few millimetres. It may be itchy.

Bacteria may also infect the belly button, often taking advantage of the damage already done by the fungi. This leads to scabbing and a yellowish discharge.

Redness may not be an infection at all - it may be caused by psoriasis, a skin disorder. On the arms and legs psoriasis causes scaly patches, but in moist areas like the belly button there is no scaliness - it just looks red and shiny. Usually, but not always, you will have psoriasis somewhere else on your body.

What to do about belly button discharge

Resist the urge to pick or scratch.
Don't try to turn your belly button inside-out to clean it properly - just wash it gently using water to which you have added enough salt to give it a salty taste (about a tablespoonful in a bowl, or two handfuls in the bath). If you have a shower, use the shower head to rinse it well. Carefully dab it dry.
Don't dab on any antiseptics, or add antiseptic to your bath water. This could irritate the skin and make it worse.
Stop applying any creams from the chemist - they could be making it worse.
If it doesn't start improving within a few days, or there is a yellowish discharge, see your doctor. You may need an antibiotic cream.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Friday, February 26th 2010

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Comments on this article

Posted by Optional on 25/07/2010 at 08:55:10 pm

my belly button is wet since i have fever and something red point in my skin last january 2010 .. now its wet and red around my belly button...

Posted by Worried_ on 10/07/2010 at 12:43:10 am

Well I found that my belly button is a bit wet and smelly inside and it's really freaking me out! I want to try cleaning it with warm water and cotton swabs but I'm not sure if I should. This has happened a few times before so should I just wait a few more days and see the results?

Posted by rahul on 14/06/2010 at 08:25:23 am

some yellowish color liquid comes out from my belly botton,its no were paining,but initially it was a kind of muscular pain...almost 20 days goen but its not getting rite......wat should i do even now i am taking antibiotics.....

Posted by Catherine on 02/06/2010 at 01:30:03 pm

After weeks of my belly button itching and being smelly and wet i finally managed to pull a large lump of something out of the inside with a pair of tweezers. It was SO disgusting but really satisfying.

Posted by Optional on 15/05/2010 at 02:42:58 pm

Hey there, A couple of days ago i was cleaning my belly button, i observed a strange smell, i thought it was just dirty, after 2 days i saw that it became red and a bit painful, the smell still persists, i'm reading a lot of things on the internet and i don't quite understand what to do. I don't want to put any creams without asking a doc's advice , but i also don't want to go to him for something silly, please let me know if there is something that i can do:) Thank u.

Posted by Optional on 03/05/2010 at 03:51:24 am

i have discharge fom the belly button also it has been a little swollen & tender ?

Posted by Peter on 21/04/2010 at 02:25:13 pm

Every two or three years I get light greyish coloured "fluff" in my bely button. Sometimes the belly button becomes reddish and slightly itchy. To remove I pick and flick it (outside) and then wash my hands just in case.......... After typically a month or so (without treatment) the symptoms disappear. Can you enlighten me. Thanks

Posted by Reid on 13/04/2010 at 06:55:12 pm

Thanks this maid me not so scared I thought I had some bad problem

Posted by Optional on 06/04/2010 at 05:16:05 pm

I've just gotten my belly button done its been about a month. This is my second time piercing my belly. My belly button feels fine but everytime I clean it. It seem my hole of the piercing is getting smaller and my belly ring is going to fall off.

Posted by Optional on 08/03/2010 at 01:08:31 pm

i have come to the conclusion that most people have stinky belly buttons. also to anyone wondering about the grossness of umbilical cord.... they are all gross, the gooeyer they are the quicker they come off. dont use the likes of baby powder. just something i learned from having all my babies...

Posted by Mika's mommy on 27/01/2010 at 08:39:00 pm

My baby's belly button is red underneath the umbilical cord where it's falling off and it's green where it's still connected should i be worried?

Posted by Anonymous on 21/12/2009 at 01:19:00 am

around my belly button is a bit red and itchy I cleaned the inside of th belly button and the swab had yellowish/light green dishcharge and had a FOUL odor I clean it out fairly well and now its very itchy inside the belly button what should I treat it with ?

Posted by Anonymous on 11/12/2009 at 07:57:00 pm

my son has liguid in his beely button that stinks it is tender to the touch but isnt red at all. it forms yellow crustys. should i take him to the doctor or what is wrong?

Posted by Jackie James on 19/11/2009 at 08:12:00 pm

i have an STI in my belly button.. possibly chlamydia

Posted by Anonymous on 04/11/2009 at 12:10:00 am

My Belly Button Is Red But Have Liquid Leaking Out Of It Also Have This Problum Somewhere Else On Ma Skin, Its Causing Some Discomfort, Am i In Any Danger?

Posted by ouch on 27/09/2009 at 02:13:00 am

hello,my belly button, in side the whole of my acctul belly btton it was a redd spot with a bitt yellowy too,is it infected and if so how do i treat it..also my 12 year old sister has hers done too and the same has happend with hers

Posted by Anonymous on 26/09/2009 at 07:03:00 pm

I got my belly pierced about 4 weeks ago. Recently when i push my belly button piercing up or down yellowish goo (looks like puss) seems to come out. There isn't any pain or anything..and I keep it very clean! I think it might just be water from the shower..or even the anticeptic i got, that gets trapped in it or something. anyway no idea... please help!

Posted by Anonymous on 12/09/2009 at 12:18:00 am

thx this was a great help

Posted by Anonymous on 17/08/2009 at 11:39:00 am

My belly button is to deep, so I have a problem with it when I went through my periods there is blood coming from it until a finish my periods and I'm in pain right through it. I am so worried that it may affect me when a want a baby.

Posted by Anonymous on 06/08/2009 at 06:40:00 pm

The inside of my belly button where my belly ring bottom is, is red & it looks like really raw. It has a disgusting whiteish-yellow discharge, & it's really crusty. I don't know if it is infected, but I really would like to know. The same thing was happening to the top like a month ago, but it went away on it's own. I keep hoping the bottom will too, but it hasn't seemed to get any better. PLEASE HELP!

Posted by had belly infec on 22/07/2009 at 01:37:00 am

OK FIRST IF IT HAS ANY SMELL OR DISCHARGE CALL UR DOC I PERSONALLY HAD MY GF CALL LOL 99.9 % ITS A SIMPLE ANTIBIOTIC JUST TAKE UR PILLS U CANNOT TREAT IT URSELF TAKE MY ADVICE CUZ IT CAN GET WORSE IF U HATE PILLS THEY HAVE CREAM JUST GO TO DOCTORS!!!!

Posted by jessy griffit on 08/07/2009 at 12:36:00 pm

i also have belly button discharge, its very painful, but its also green. i've emarrasingly used my boyfriends electric toothbrush to get at it, but the nozzle was too large and got clogged with my belly gook, WHOOPS!

Posted by Ebony on 23/05/2009 at 09:23:00 pm

I have read up on belly button discharge mine is yellowish and is very painful sometimes I need to press on it just because it hurts when I walk, I can feel something like a tube pulling from the left hand side, and I usually have pain in the left hand side of my stomach and which goes into my lower back left hand side and down into my vagina almost like Im having contractions, Ive had a child and I know something is contracting as it feels like im having labour pains. This contracting lead me to having a miscarriage at 17. Pain has always been on the left side since the age of 10 years and my stomach is exremley tender to the touch, my smears show nothing, sexual health shows nothing, but I do suffer from high urik acid build up, which I need to take allpurinol tablets for, could you please advise thankyou

Posted by GoodBoy on 29/04/2009 at 12:40:00 pm

ThANKz for this post...

Posted by Anonymous on 09/03/2009 at 11:15:00 pm

5 months ago, i noticed on my penis, the join of skin between my foreskin and the head of my penis became sore and as i looked closer i noticed that it had become torn. please help as it is very sore everytime i have sexual intercourse and it also seems to tear a bit more everytime!

Posted by Wendy on 19/01/2009 at 03:35:00 am

Thank You sososo much this is a realy big help you should have more of dis info

Posted by redness belly button on 30/12/2008 at 05:19:00 pm

I have a redness belly button... I need to know what should I clean it out for that....

Posted by Errol on 17/12/2008 at 11:37:00 pm

I been having a smelly discharge from my belly button and discharge has a unique appearance which looks like vaselin cream and very sticky. Has any got advise for me thank you.