Pain Around Belly Button

The belly button, also referred to as navel, is located on the abdominal area. We often observe children and even adults, holding the stomach and complaining about abdominal pain. When the doctor examines the abdominal area and puts some amount of pressure with the fingers near the belly button, the person experiences pain. Persistent pain around belly button certainly cannot be ignored and is often related to issues associated with the small and the large intestines. The pain usually worsens when doing stretching exercises. Engaging oneself in abdominal exercises is next to impossible for people experiencing pain near belly button. Activities like bending, leaning or jumping while playing basketball, put excessive strain on the stomach and abdominal muscles and so can aggravate existing navel pain.

Causes

Experiencing moderate to sharp pain around belly button can be a symptom of constipation or intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. All these factors are explained below:

Appendicitis
A condition that triggers sudden abnormal enlargement of the appendix, is known as appendicitis. The appendix is a 3-4 cm tubular structure, regarded as an extension of the large intestine. This mass of tissue hangs freely and although its function is not known, it can cause pain, if it becomes inflamed due to an infection. As the appendix is located near the belly button and is swollen, the person is bound to experience recurring pain that may aggravate over time. The pain resulting from appendix, is moderate that usually starts around the belly button and eventually travels down to the right abdomen. Nausea, loss of appetite and fever are the other symptoms of appendicitis.

Ulcers
Ulcers are basically open wounds that develop on the walls of the intestines. Initially, the pain is experienced near the belly button and with no treatment the pain spreads and affects the whole abdominal area. Ulcers trigger internal bleeding, causing discomfort near the belly button.

Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)
UTI affects the urinary system that is primarily made up of ureters, kidneys, urethra and the bladder. The infection increases the urge to urinate and is followed by a smelly discharge. The pain is severe while urinating, but even otherwise mild to moderate pain is experienced near the belly button throughout the day. Although UTI can attack any part of the urinary system, it generally affects the bladder.

Ovarian Cysts
Navel pain in women can occur due to the presence of ovarian cysts. A cyst is a pouch like structure that contains the body fluids. Cysts are regarded as abnormal fluid filled structures because they are not part of any body tissues. The ovaries found near the uterus are an integral part of the female reproductive system. Development of ovarian cysts, initially may not cause any discomfort, but if these fluid filled sacs burst, patients often complain about discomfort around belly button.

Hernia
This condition is a result of weak abdominal muscles that are unable to hold internal tissues, leading to protrusion of the tissues. The intestinal tissues are seen bulging outwards (as small lumps) through the weak areas of the abdomen. Lifting heavy objects without taking the necessary precautions is the most common reason behind the development of hernia.

Pregnancy
Pregnancy news brings the joy of happiness to any women but carrying the developing baby for 9 months has its own set of problems such as it causes discomfort near the belly button. However, navel pain during pregnancy is common and not a cause for worry. This happens because the abdominal wall near the belly button is not thick. On the contrary, it is very thin and so the undue pressure of the fetus on this area, can cause pain. Pain around the navel area is not a serious issue, as it disappears after pregnancy.

Stomach Flu
Pain that keeps lingering near the belly button can also be due to stomach flu. This is a viral infection in which the lining of the stomach and the intestine are inflamed. In this condition, the digestion goes haywire as the patient vomits soon after consuming food. Frequent bouts of vomiting and inability to digest food are the hallmarks of stomach flu. Pain that loiters around the belly button is a common complaint among stomach flu sufferers. Apart from stomach cramps, the onset of diarrhea is also noticed in many patients.

Heavy Workouts
You might enjoy doing high intensity exercises but after a workout session you may face a hard time dealing with pain around belly button. This is because, exercises that are done vigorously such as crunches or those involving lifting weights can be strenuous to the abdominal muscles. As a result, the undue stress on the abdominal muscles can manifest in the form of navel pain.

Food Poisoning
Consuming food that is not stored properly or prepared in unsanitary conditions is harmful and leads to food poisoning. So, within a few hours of having contaminated food, one is likely to vomit and most importantly experience persistent discomfort around belly button.

Treatment for this stomach discomfort will be given after diagnosing the underlying cause. Urinary tract infections are usually treated with antibiotics. This is because UTI is a bacterial infection and use of these drugs does help to get rid of symptoms associated with UTI. In case of appendicitis, surgery is performed to detach the swollen appendix from the large intestine.