Belly button bleeding is often unnoticed, considering the hidden, damp, and dark characteristics of the wound site. There are variety of causes inducing this bleeding, and every single cause might trigger different thing that cause bleeding inside the umbilical. In most cases, belly button bleeding is not a complicated matter and may heal with proper treatments, while in other ones, it may signify bigger complications in your entire health.

What happens when your belly button bleeds?

The origin of blood seepage inside the belly button varies based on what causes it. Some bleeding are minor and may dismiss within days, while some other may be persistent or occur intermittently. Knowing what really happens when you have a belly button bleeding can really help you providing the most suitable treatment to improve the condition.

• Belly button bleeding, similar to other kinds of bleeding in the body, is induced by inflammation. When the skin tissues are inflamed, the nerve system around the site is influenced. As a result, you might feel painful sensation as your body is trying to let you know about this problem.
• Due to the inflammation, the skin around the belly button is not only swollen, but also changes its color. The color can be pinkish or bluish, resembling some bruises.
• If the bleeding is caused by excessive skin scratching, some abrasions may present. Commonly, skin scratching on the wound site is triggered by severe itching due to extremely-dry navel skin. Thus, you will see some flaking skin as well as seepage of blood. Dried blood is also common and may cause blockage to the wound site.
• If the belly button is bleeding due to a trauma, inflammation will be present and is accompanied by blood discharge. Based on how hard the trauma is, the amount of blood may vary. Commonly, the trauma causes damage to the skin tissues and in more severe cases, the blood vessels on the skin, triggering blood discharge. This, obviously, requires an immediate treatment, as an open wound on the site can easily be infested with bacteria residing in the skin.
• Some severe infection does not only produce blood. Instead, it is accompanied with pus discharge and foul odor, which may stay on the wound site for days or weeks. If you are spotting these signs, it is an indication that infection is quite serious and needs to be treated properly.
• Any amount of blood present inside the navel should be put into account, as it is likely to show a problem with the body part. If left untreated, bleeding in the belly button may lead to more serious problem. In some cases, this bleeding spreads to the abdominal area and thus, causes some abdominal complications, which are harder to treat.
• Bleeding in the belly button that is experienced by newborns are quite normal, considering it is a result of the taken-off umbilical cord right after birth. However, if the bleeding is persistent, painful, and causes a lot of discomfort to the baby, it may suggest an infection. In infants, this infection may be accompanied by fever and needs to be observed immediately.

Is belly button bleeding harmful?

Bleeding, anywhere in the body, suggests some complications. In some wounds, this shows the body’s natural way of cleansing the wound site, and will stop when sufficient pressure is given, while in some others it suggests something more serious, such as blood vessels damage. Inside the navel, bleeding almost always suggests an infection and thus, can be quite serious. The problem can be more complicated if you fail to perform required initial treatments, such as proper hygiene and wound caring.

In people with various age range, belly button bleeding needs to be observed by a physician, especially if it occurs persistently or intermittently. Minor bleeding caused by scratching, though, can be self-treated at home. However, belly button bleeding accompanied by some other symptoms, such as excruciating pain, fever, chills, or bad inflammation should be examined by professionals. This examination is also crucial if you see some abnormal tissue growth inside the bleeding belly button, as this can be a growing cyst that occurs from your fetal-life umbilical cord.