Indigestion
Indigestion, also calleddyspepsia, is a common cause of belly button pain.
It is often due to something you ate.
Indigestion feels like a burning or aching sensation mainly between the breastbone and belly button.
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You may be constipated if you have fewer than three bowel movements in a week.
The stool that does pass is usually hard, dry, and pebble-like.
Constipation can cause painoften sudden and sharpin the belly button area as well as the lower abdomen.
With constipation, you might also feel bloated, uncomfortable, or sluggish.
Aventral herniais a bang out that involves the abdominal wall.
Those that occur near or adjacent to the belly button are calledumbilical hernias.
Anumbilical herniacan cause a bump or bulge around the navel.
The pain can be especially sharp when coughing, sneezing, exercising, or stretching.
Hernias can berepaired surgically.
Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)can affect any part of the urinary system.
Lower UTIs cause lower abdominal and pelvic pain.
The pain can be dull, sharp, or both.
The infections are typically bacterial and treated withantibiotics.
coliorsalmonella) found in contaminated, undercooked food.
It is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea.
Gastroenteritis usually goes away on its own in several days to a week.
The treatment is mainly focused on managing symptoms and preventing dehydration.
pylorican be managed with antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors like Nexium (esomeprazole).
The infection itself can be cleared with a combination of antibiotics given over seven to 14 days.
Common causes of belly button infections include an infected piercing and poor hygiene.
For mild infections, your provider may recommend a topical antifungal or antibacterial ointment.
More severe infections may require oral and/or topical medications.
You may also have tenderness or increased pain when you cough.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy can cause abdominal pain as the baby grows inside the uterus (womb).
A common cause during the second trimester is the stretching of the round ligament.
This is a band of connective tissue between the uterus and groin that supports the expanding uterus.
The pain often occurs in waves duringflare-ups.
Other symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, blood in the stool, weight loss, and fatigue.
Appendicitis
Appendicitisis inflammation of the appendix.
When inflamed, the appendix swells and becomes filled with a thick, infectious fluid called pus.
With appendicitis, the pain is generally dull when it starts around the belly button.
The pain will then migrate to the lower right abdomen and become increasingly severe.
Appendicitis requires emergency medical care.
Left untreated, the appendix can spontaneously burst and cause potentially life-threatening complications.
Thegallbladderis a responsible for storing and secreting the digestive fluidbile.
Gallstone pain can be felt in the middle to upper-right portion of the abdomen.
The pain is often sharp and stabbing and can last from minutes to hours.
Pain may also radiate to the back or right shoulder.
Nausea and vomiting are common.
Most gallstones clear on their own and get passed into the intestine for removal in feces.
If you are experiencing chronic symptoms, your provider may recommend a common surgery calledcholecystectomyto remove the gallbladder.
Pancreatitis
Pancreatitisis inflammation of thepancreas.
This is the organ situated just below and behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes andinsulin.
The pain can also radiate toward the back.
Other symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and bloating.
The treatment of pancreatitis varies based on the underlying cause.
The pain can come in ever-increasing waves until either the blockage is cleared or the intestine bursts.
Nausea, vomiting, and bloating are common.
Bowel obstruction can be due to:
A bowel obstruction requires immediate emergency care.
Medications and procedures likebowel decompressionmay help flush the obstruction.
If these don’t work, open surgery may be needed.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Any persistent pain should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
The pain may be related to temporary and easy-to-treat conditions such as constipation or indigestion.
In cases of sudden, severe pain, seek emergency treatment.
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for appendicitis.
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