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Why does my belly button hurt?
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025

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To find out why the navel hurts, it is necessary to take into account all the accompanying signs for timely and accurate diagnosis of the disease. Based on the complete clinical picture, the specialist first differentiates viral and bacteriological infections.
Why does the belly button hurt and what diseases cause pain in the belly button?
- Enteritis is a disorder in the functioning of the intestines associated with an inflammatory process in the small intestine. Sometimes this disease is accompanied by problems with the stomach and inflammation of the colon. Associated symptoms are nausea, often accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, frequent rumbling in the abdomen, spasmodic pain, a feeling of weakness, and fever. During palpation, the patient feels pain in the epigastric region. With timely treatment, the prognosis for the outcome of the disease is positive. As a treatment, gastric lavage with sodium bicarbonate is prescribed; patients take castor oil or magnesium sulfate to empty the intestines. On the first day, the patient is shown absolute fasting and abundant fluid intake. If complications arise, injections of sodium chloride or glucose are administered, as well as caffeine. Additionally, festal, linex, lactovit are prescribed. To prevent this disease, it is necessary to observe hygiene rules, wash vegetables and fruits before eating, and balance your diet.
- Gastroenteritis is a disease that can manifest itself as a result of the body's reaction to unfamiliar food, consumption of contaminated food or water, as well as as a result of side effects when taking medications. Current symptoms are pain in the navel area, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence. In such cases, you should refuse to eat or drink and seek help from a doctor, especially if the symptoms do not disappear within 24 hours.
- Enterocolitis is a simultaneous inflammatory process of the small and large intestines. Such pathology can occur as a result of intestinal infections, as well as as a result of improper nutrition, consumption of spicy and fatty foods, alcoholic beverages, prolonged use of antibiotics, food allergies, etc. Symptoms are pain in the abdomen, navel, flatulence, loose stools. Most often, the pain is localized in the navel area, but can also be diffuse. During treatment, you should avoid foods that irritate the gastric mucosa, frequent drinking, taking vitamin and mineral complexes, medicinal herbs, and a gentle diet are recommended.
- Acute appendicitis is a pathology that causes pain that is first felt in the epigastric region, then can concentrate near the navel or spread throughout the abdomen, later localizing in its right half. When palpating, the patient experiences piercing pain. The temperature may rise, the pulse may become more frequent, nausea and vomiting may occur. This condition requires immediate surgical intervention.
- Hernia in the navel - characterized by such accompanying symptoms as acute intense pain, nausea, vomiting, lack of stool. In the location of the hernia, a seal is palpated, which in no case should be attempted to be corrected independently. In such a situation, emergency surgery is indicated.
- Diverticulitis of the intestine is the presence of protrusions in the walls of the colon. The main symptoms are: pain in the navel, as well as when palpating the lower abdomen on the left side, fever, flatulence, rumbling in the abdomen, lack of stool. If there are no complications, treatment begins with normalizing the stool, prescribing a therapeutic diet, taking antispasmodic drugs. Surgical intervention is indicated if conservative treatment is ineffective.
- Abdominal migraine - in most cases occurs in children and adolescents. The pain is quite intense, has a diffuse character, can be localized near the navel, the limbs turn pale and become cold, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting occur. Treatment can be as follows: tincture of valerian is taken orally at the rate of 1 drop per 1 year of life, as well as the drug phenobarbital.
- Intestinal volvulus. Symptoms: persistent or cramping abdominal pain, mainly in the right half or in the navel, vomiting, excessive gas formation, constipation. The disease begins acutely. Siphon and high enemas or surgery are indicated for this pathology.
Diagnosis of the disease
To find out why the navel hurts, in addition to palpation and personal examination by a doctor, stool and blood tests are prescribed, an irrigoscopy is performed (an X-ray of the intestines filled with a special substance using an enema), and a colonoscopy is a direct examination of the rectum.
Treatment
If you have pain in the navel, treatment is prescribed based on the current symptoms and the overall picture of the disease. In case of enteritis, enterocolitis, gastroenteritis, the patient is prescribed therapeutic diets, it is recommended to refuse spicy and fatty foods, the use of antispasmodics (for example, no-shpa), regular drinking, vitamin and mineral complexes and herbal medicine are indicated. In case of such pathologies as acute appendicitis, intestinal diverticulitis, umbilical hernia, surgical intervention is necessary. To find out exactly why the navel hurts, consult a gastroenterologist or therapist.