“You’re having a belly button period,” a doctor friend texted me. Truly, a sentence no one wants to hear. But it wasn’t so simple.

Umbilical hernias, appendicitis, gastroenteritis, and peptic ulcers might cause belly button pain. Belly button pain can be diagnosed with imaging scans, as well as blood, stool, and urine tests. Mild ...

Thick, brown belly button discharge may happen if you haven't washed your belly button in a while. This discharge is likely caused by skin cells, sweat, dirt, fungi, and bacteria build-up and can be ...