Pain in the belly button may manifest in different ways, it may be sharp or mild, and at other times, it may be constant or it comes and goes. An individual may feel pain that occurs only near their belly button, and at other times, the pain may be radiating to or from other body parts. The type of pain you are experiencing in the belly button and where you feel it may signify different causes. One thing you need to realize is that pain in itself is not a condition but it may be a symptom of another condition. Pain in belly button may help determine the underlying condition if other symptoms are taken into account. The pain may be treated quickly but at other times, it may need medication or surgery.
A sharp pain occurring below the belly button may be due to inflammation of organs located within the abdomen or an intra-abdominal infection. Delaying treatment of such pain and its cause may result in serious complication. If you are having recurring spells of belly button pain, you should seek help of a doctor immediately.
Causes of Sharp Pain Under the Bellow Button
The kind of pain you are having can help the doctor to figure out what’s causing it. A person may have a sharp belly button pain, but sometimes, the pain manifest in form of bloating and pulling. When you visit a doctor, ensure you describe the kind of pain you are having to help him or her figure out the best treatment to offer. You may need emergency medical attention if you have pain that is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Blood in stool
- Vomiting with blood
- Chest pain on exertion
- Shortness of breath occurring along with chest pain radiating to the arm, jaw, or neck
- Constant pain that occurs for more than four hours
Different conditions may cause sharp pain under a person’s belly button and they include:
Hernia: If you are feeling sharp pain occurring near the belly button and the pain seems to get worse after you cough or stretch, then it could be due to a hernia. The common cause is a bulge forming near the belly button. If you have a hernia, you may as well experience pain near the groin. The common cause of hernia is an increase in pressure around the belly button that causes part of the fatty tissue or intestine to bulge out.
If you have vomiting occurring along with sharp pain, you may want to seek treatment immediately because the hernia could be strangulated. A strangulated hernia arises when there is blocking of blood to tissues within the abdomen and intestines. The strangulated tissues may begin to release toxins and infections into a person’s bloodstream leading to serious conditions like sepsis or even death. So, strangulated hernias are usually considered medical emergencies.
You may be prone to having hernia if:
- You have weak abdominal walls
- You lift heavy weights
- You gain weight quickly or if you are obese
- You have chronic coughs
- Straining during bowel movements
- Persistent sneezing
- Straining during urination
- Chronic lung disease
- Fluid in your abdominal cavity
Appendicitis: This is a very painful condition that causes the appendix to become inflamed. In 2015, there were about 400,000 diagnoses related to appendicitis within North America according to a review featured in the Annals of Surgery. Appendicitis may be serious, often resulting in death if not treated in time.
If appendicitis is left untreated, it may result in a condition known as peritonitis, which happens when there is rupturing of the appendix and an infection spreading to the abdomen. Appendix pain mainly begins around the belly button. It radiates throughout an individual’s abdomen. You may find that the pain worsens with movements such as coughing and walking. Other symptoms that come along with appendix pain include:
- Inability to pass gas
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Abdominal bloating and swelling
- Appetite loss
Appendix is a long tube about four inches that is located at the intersection of the large intestine and the small intestine within the lower right side of a person’s abdomen. The appendix is actually part of a person’s large intestine, that’s why when you have appendicitis; the pain is experienced near the part where belly button is located.
You may be able to distinguish appendicitis pain from other causes of pain within the belly button area because it usually starts or migrates to reach the right lower quadrant of a person’s abdomen.
Cystitis: This is the inflammation of an individual’s bladder, and it may cause pain within the pelvic area. Cystitis is more common in women than in men and those who have the inflammation experience pain around their navel. The pain may be accompanied by other symptoms such as:
- A strong urge to urinate
- A burning sensation while urinating
- Feeling kind of pressure within the lower abdomen
- Having slight fever
- Having blood in urine
If cystitis is not treated in time, it could lead to kidney infection.
Pancreatitis: This is a condition in which the pancreas is inflamed. With this condition, it occurs when the digestive enzymes move to the pancreas instead of being released into a person’s small intestine. This situation causes the enzymes to attack the pancreas. One classic symptom of having an inflamed pancreas is belly button pain. Because pancreatitis is mainly a chronic condition, you find that the belly button pain does not resolve fully – it keeps on recurring. You need to learn how to manage chronic pancreatitis.
Chronic constipation: As the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases points out, constipation is defined as a condition in which an individual experiences 3 or fewer bowel movements within a period of one week. Almost every person gets constipation time in time, and the condition lasts for a short time. If the constipation takes more than 2 months, then it’s advisable you see a doctor.
Constipation and ingestion may occur due to poor dietary habits, but having chronic constipation may be a serious problem. In constipation, there is slow movement of wastes or stool through an individual’s large intestine. There is incomplete and difficulty in evacuating the bowel because the waste products tend to dry up and harden. An individual begins to strain when having bowel movements. Constipation presents with the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Infrequent bowel movement
- Bloating
- Pain in the rectum
The retention of waste occurring within the intestine may cause toxins to accumulate in body and intestinal gas to excessively build up. This may cause abdominal pain and discomfort.
Peptic ulcers: You may have bloating and pain occurring near your belly button if you have ulcers. The common causes of peptic ulcers are bad dietary habits, infections, excessive smoking or drinking, and prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen. An infection caused by a type of bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori may also cause ulcers. Ulcers may present with these symptoms:
- Pain below the navel area
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Bloating
- Burping
- Pain within the abdomen
- Bloody stool
- Weight loss
Gallbladder disease: You may experience pain under the belly button if you have a gallbladder infection. Gallbladder disease may be caused by obstruction in passing of bile from the gallbladder. If you have gallbladder stones, they may cause pain within the abdomen. Other symptoms that manifest when you have gallbladder disease include:
- Nausea
- Fullness in your abdomen
- Heartburn
- Vomiting
- Fever
Round ligament pain in pregnancy: You may have sharp pain occurring on both or one side of the belly button because of round ligament pain. The pain may as well occur in the hip area. Mostly, round ligament pain occurs during the second trimester. Usually, the round ligament is the one that connects the front part of the uterus to the groin part, and it tends to stretch in time of pregnancy so that it supports the uterus.
It’s normal to have round ligament pain at time of pregnancy. Some movements may also cause contraction of ligaments resulting in pain that tends to last only for a few seconds. Such movements include standing quickly, laughing, and coughing.
Sharp Pain Under the Belly Button – Treatment
The treatment of this kind of pain will usually depend on the causal factor or condition. The pain may even be sometimes related to a sore navel because of an infection of a belly button piercing. If the pain does not arise due to a superficial skin infection, then you may need to undergo various tests or imaging scans to locate the area where the pain is coming from. Remember that pain within organs near the belly button may radiate to reach the navel. An inflammation or a disease may be causing the pain.
If appendicitis is causing the pain, treatment may involve appendectomy which is carried out to remove the appendix. A doctor may also use laparoscopic treatment that involves doing small incisions. Ulcers may be treated using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antibiotics. H2 receptor blockers and endoscopies may be used during follow-ups after initial treatment of ulcers. To treat hernia, a doctor will use laparoscopic repair or open hernia repair. Usually nonsurgical treatments may not be recommended because the hernia can become worse. In case of gallstones, treatment may involve use of surgery to remove them. This will help resolve the pain.
Improving dietary habits helps with indigestion and constipation. A high fiber diet can help with bowel movements. An individual should remain well-hydrated. A person may want to quit smoking and reduce their alcohol intake or use of caffeinated drinks to help with chronic indigestion and constipation.
