It's prolly yeast, I was looking up this question on yahoo answers and this was what I found: If you are overweight, then your bellybutton is going to be deep, and this can lead to problems for you. It has nothing to do with the food you eat, nor does it require antibiotics- it is unlikely to be a bacterial infection. It is not coming from the inside of your body- it is coming from the skin- there is no opening that gets from the inside through the belly button.
The navel is prone to yeast infections in larger people- it is warm, moist and dark and if your blood has a high sugar content that can help too. Gently use a cotton bud to clean inside it, and use an athelete's foot ointment inside it to stop the fungus. Please do not use hydrogen peroxide can damage the skin, and there is no evidence to say that it helps in yeast infections- it is not the best remedy as it can irritate and cause skin breakdown. You need to counteract the organism, and its most likely a fungus. You need miconozole or clotrimazole (1% should be enough) to combat the fungus, the same one that causes yeast infecitons and atheletes foot.
You can also make the navel less inviting for the fungus. Dry inside your navel well after bathing, and make sure to dry it if you are sweaty, go swimming, etc. Reapply the anti-fungal ointment 2-3 times a day. You can put a plug of cotton in the navel if its really discharging- put the antifungal ointment on a cotton bud, swirl it inside, then put the cotton in- your own handmade belly button lint!- and allow it to soak up any drainage. When you have a shower, rinse well with running water, then dry with a cotton bud or even a blow dryer set on low heat. Keep it dry throughout the day using cotton or cotton buds (Q-tips).
The very bottom of the navel is anchored by a cord left over from your birth, so it makes the hole deep when your stomach is large, and causes a pulling feeling if it is stretched too much; if the inside of the navel is sore it can be more sore to touch, or you may have an umbilical hernia- not so unusual in larger people. Only a doctor can tell if its a hernia- but if the area hurts when you cough, sneeze or push to open your bowels unless you put pressure on it to hold it in, or if it hurts to touch it, and/or if there is a bulge right near your belly button, then it might be a hernia. The stabbing pain could be from irritation inside, or from a hernia- only a doctor though can tell you if its a hernia for certain- and they can do it with one physical exam. If it is, they are likely not to do much but tell you to lose weight, as it will resolve the hernia if you do slim down. It is only dangerous to have an umbilical hernia if it gets tangled- something your likely type of hernia would rarely do. They only do surgery for an umbilical hernia if its an emergency. Wearing too tight jeans or trousers or waist bands only makes it worse, btw.
If the GP is making you feel badly, tell them straight off "I know I am big, but can you skip the lecture and help me?" They tell you about weight because it does cause so many problems, but they dont mean to scare you off going for help when you need it. You shouldn't have any skin discharging or getting sore- or have pain that you don't understand- its not good for you. Just because you are not Twiggy doesn't mean you don't deserve to be taken care of.
Of course, if you really don't feel like you can see the doctor, ask to see the nurse. Patients often feel more confident with the nruse than the doctor when they feel embarassed. But, feeling lost without help is worse than feeling embarassed... I realise that you are both afraid there is something wrong and ashamed of your size, but maybe you can get help with both things at the same time? Being overweight isn't just your fault- there may be things the doctor's practice can do to help you if you want to lose weight.
Good luck- hope things heal soon, it must be nasty to be so uncomfortable. DOn't be ashmaed of your weight- you are as much a person as anyone else.
Source(s):
Merck manual online
20 years nursing experience
Senior clinical nurse
