Belly buttons are barely a few millimetres deep at a young age. At a young age, belly buttons have an elongated shape. The diameter of the navel varies from fifteen to twenty millimetres. The body weight, pregnancies and abdominal wall hernia can influence the appearance.
As dead skin cells and sebum — the oil secreted by your skin — accumulate in your bellybutton, they can form an omphalolith over time. Also known as a navel stone, they're made of the same materials that form blackheads.
This photo shows what the belly button looks like from inside the abdomen. As you can see, it is not attached to anything in the body. The belly button is where the umbilical cord attaches to the fetus, connecting the developing baby to the placenta.
Richardson cautions against touching your belly button with your germy fingers, as it can lead to serious infections.
Your belly button marks the spot where your umbilical (say: um-BIL-ih-kul) cord was once attached. This cord is a soft, bendable tube that carried nutrients — vitamins and minerals — from your mother to you, back when you were in her belly (womb). A belly button is also called a navel.
So, as you stick your finger into your belly button, it sends a signal from the deeper fibres that line your inner abdominal cavity to your spinal cord. Because your spinal cord at that level is also relaying signals from your bladder and urethra, it feels almost the same.
Surrounding the umbilical collar is the periumbilical skin. Directly behind the navel is a thick fibrous cord formed from the umbilical cord, called the urachus, which originates from the bladder.
Located directly behind the stomach, the pancreas lies deep in the center of the abdomen. Its position corresponds to an area 3-6 inches above the “belly button”, straight back on the back wall of the abdominal cavity.
Dip your finger or a soft washcloth in a solution of saltwater (about a teaspoon of table salt in a cup of warm water) and gently massage the inside of your navel. This should loosen stubborn germs that can cause odor. Then rinse with plain water and pat it dry.
The opening normally closes just after birth. If the muscles don't join together completely in the midline of the abdominal wall, an umbilical hernia may appear at birth or later in life. In adults, too much abdominal pressure contributes to umbilical hernias.
A deep hollow belly button will typically appear if there's a shadow underneath the belly button's top fold. This belly button type resembles a slightly open mouth. Some people in this category may have a “funnel” belly button, which is common with excess abdominal fat.
Common causes for pain around your belly button include indigestion, constipation, and umbilical hernias. Other, more serious causes include appendicitis, gallstones, and pancreatitis. Contact a medical professional for belly button pain that persists, is severe, or occurs with other symptoms.
The pancreas is a long, thin organ located behind the stomach, in the upper left side of the abdomen. It produces enzymes to aid in digestion.
There are many reasons a person can experience bellybutton pain. Some causes can be minor, including indigestion, constipation, and pregnancy. Others may be more serious, such as gallstones, appendicitis, or pancreatitis. Bellybutton pain can range in severity from mild to sharp.
Most belly buttons are indented so act as a trap for sweat, dead skin, and dirt. Few people wash the belly button with soap so germs can develop. The most common cause for a belly button smell is poor hygiene. All areas of the body need to be washed regularly to stay clean and healthy.
Right Upper Quadrant
Organs found in this quadrant include: the liver, the gallbladder, duodenum, the upper portion of the pancreas, and the hepatic flexure of the colon. Pain in the right upper quadrant may be indicative of hepatitis, cholecystitis, or the formation of a peptic ulcer.
Average location of the superior margin of the transverse colon was 4.6 cm (95% CI 3.5-5.7 cm) above the umbilicus. In nine (13%) women it was below the umbilicus.
Your belly button is an erogenous zone
Even though the belly button is just a scar, the area has many nerve endings, making it ticklish, sensitive, and — if you're like Madonna — a love button that shoots sex tingles up your spine.
It turns out your mother was right when she told you to keep your finger out of your belly button. Apparently, pushing in there actually does do something - it makes you need to pee. Dr. Christopher Hollingsworth of NYC Surgical Associates explained to The Mirror what happens when you push in your belly button.
Dr Christopher Hollingsworth of NYC Surgical Associates explained to Lad Bible that often, despite inducing the feeling of needing to pee, touching the belly button actually stimulates the lining of the stomach, so that you think you need the loo, even though you may not.
Without getting in there and cleaning your belly button on the regular, the lingering gunk — e.g. dirt, sweat, dead skin cells, clothing fabric, and bacteria — can collect and "cause odor or even an infection," says Dr. Goldberg.
While some people find the absence of a belly button a cosmetic concern, you can take comfort in knowing people like Kurkova that take photos for a living do just fine without a belly button.
Why does my belly button hurt when pressed? Certain conditions can make the abdomen around the belly button sensitive to touch. These include hernia, gallstones, and Crohn's disease. Appendicitis can also cause pain that worsens when the abdomen is pressed.
Diagnosis for Belly Button Pain
The majority of the time, when you experience pain above your belly button, it could be due to an issue with your gastrointestinal or intestinal tract, such as the stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, or intestines.