The belly button is often considered by many to be a sexual body part, hence many stars, like Taylor Swift, never show their belly button. However, do you know that there has been found a total of 2,368 species of bacteria lived in our belly button and when we grow up, some changes in this belly button may tell you there is something wrong? Yes, commonly, a smelly odor or pus from it can be a signal of belly button infection.

Causes of Belly Button Infection

Due to the belly button being a warm and moist area, it is a basic breeding ground for bacteria. The high population of bacteria can often result in belly button infection. Besides, there are other factors that also increase the chance of infection.
1

Piercing

Many women look at piercing their belly button as a sign of independence, or they simply want to do this because it is a way to become sexier in their eyes. However, these piercings can greatly increase the chances of infection, especially if the piercing is not performed correctly.

2

Touching

The hands carry tons of bacteria and when you place one of them in or around your belly button constantly, you increase the chances for the bacteria to be bound to belly button and grow, causing an infection.

3

Improper Hygiene

Not bathing frequently allows the bacteria and fungi to grow more rapidly in the belly button. However, bathing with dirty water can also cause the bacteria to increase. In addition, a person who does not remove all soap and water from his belly button when drying off after bath has an increased chance of having a belly button infection.

Treatments for Belly Button Infections

1

Medical Treatments

The type of medical treatment you receive for a belly button infection is really based on the stage in which this infection is. Those who have a mild infection may be given some topical antibiotic cream to apply to the infected area. After several applications, the infection should disappear. Those who have a worse case of infection may need to not only use topical infection cream, but also take antibiotics. In extreme cases, surgery is performed. However, this is usually only done when the infection has spread to the internal organs and there is a risk of having severe internal injuries.

2

Home Remedies

Healing a belly button infection can take a while due to the environment present in the naval. In some cases, this can take as long as 6 months. However, there are some home remedies which a person can use to help make the healing time shorter or to help relieve the pain or itching associated with the infection. These are:

  • Warm Salt Water. The warm water is going to help to destroy bacteria, while the salt can help to dry up all the infection that is present in the belly button. This solution can be applied once or twice daily.

  • Alcohol. This can help to heal the infection area by killing bacteria. It is also great if there is pain or itching associated with the infection.

  • Indian Lilac. It has a great deal of healing properties and bacteria killing properties. It not only kills the bacteria, but also can help in relieving inflammation. In addition, when used properly, it can help to prevent the infection from spreading and stop the itching.

For more home remedies check here.

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