The belly button marks the exact spot where your umbilical cord was once attached—the vital connection that provided oxygen and nutrients in the womb. Once you started breathing, eating, and discharging waste on your own, this cord was no longer needed. What remains is a mark, a reminder of your months in your mother’s womb. However, it often gets ignored as you grow up. And there is nothing wrong with that. Your belly button does not require a special skincare routine, but neglecting its hygiene can lead to a buildup of bacteria, potentially causing a smelly discharge.

But generally, a discharge from your belly button is normal and colourless. According to experts, normal discharge is typically clear or light-coloured, has a slight odor (similar to sweat), and has no pain or redness around the navel.

What happens when you get a Bacterial or yeast infection in the belly button?

Experts say that the most common funk you might encounter in your belly button is a bacterial or fungal infection. A study titled

A Jungle in There: Bacteria in Belly Buttons are Highly Diverse, but Predictable published in 2012 in PLOS One Journal states that once rarefied to four hundred reads per sample, bacterial communities from belly buttons proved to be at least as diverse as communities known from other skin studies (on average 67 bacterial phylotypes per belly button).

This occurs due to poor hygiene, excessive sweating, or trapped moisture. Other conditions include navel piercings, cysts, and skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. People with diabetes are particularly susceptible to fungal infections such as candidiasis if their blood sugar isn't under control, according to a 2019 review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

Bacteria and fungi love the dark environment of your belly button. If your belly button is infected, you might notice some redness or swelling. The discharge might look like pus, making your belly button smell bad. If it's a yeast infection, your belly button might also itch.

What happens when your navel piercing gets wrong?

Belly button or naval piercing, if infected, can lead to severe pain, discolouration, swelling, discharge and pus. It can also cause the skin to appear red, causing delayed or failed healing.

Other common signs include:

Chills or fever

Persistent pain or inflammation

Sensitivity or discomfort when moving

Swelling or tenderness to touch

When Should You See A Doctor?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that not enough weight loss jabs will be left for those who need it. While weight loss drugs offer a great potential to tackle the obesity issue that is on the rise, globally. However, the accessibility to those who actually need it is fewer than 1 in 10 people.

Worldwide, there are one billion obese people, and are the ones calling for widespread and fairer access to these GLP-1 medication. Health prediction says that by 2030, more than two billion people will be obese unless action is taken seriously.

However, the limited production of the GLP-1 medication, high costs, and supply chain constraints have become a barrier to its universal access. WHO has already added the GLP-1 medication to its 'essential' medicines list for overweight patients with diabetes that countries are advised to provide.

"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care. While medication alone won't solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies can help millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms," says WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

As per WHO, these drugs represent a new chapter in how society approaches obesity from a lifestyle condition to a complex, preventable, and treatable chronic disease. It says these drugs can be used long-term, for six months or more, but they should be prescribed together with guidance on diet and exercise to help people maintain their weight loss. The problem is only few people can actually access them. "Our greatest concern is equitable access," says Tedros.

Also Read: Eli Lilly's Popular Weight Loss Zepbound Price Goes Down, Now More Accessible

How Short Are We On Skinny Jabs?

As of now, WHO notes that under the present scenario of GLP-1 therapies, only 100 million people could benefit them, which is less than 10% of those who need them.

WHO's latest guidelines are now calling on countries and companies to expand access, through strategies and voluntary licensing. This means companies can grant permission for others to make affordable non-brand versions of its patented drug.

A patent on semaglutide, the main ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, is set to expire in many countries in 2026. Once that happens, other manufacturers will be able to produce and sell cheaper versions in markets such as India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey.

The WHO also says countries need to build healthier environments that support good health and help prevent obesity.

How Do GLP-1 Medications Work?

GLP-1 drugs mimic the action of the natural hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and promote weight loss. They work by increasing insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner, decreasing the liver's production of glucagon, and slowing down the emptying of the stomach, which helps lower blood sugar levels after a meal. They also act on the brain to suppress appetite and increase feelings of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake.

In people with type 2 diabetes, notes Harvard Health, the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin and body does not produce enough insulin, or both. This is when GLP-1 agonists stimulate pancreas to release insulin and suppress the release of another hormone called glucagon.

These drugs also act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time. These effects can lead to weight loss, which can be an important part of managing diabetes.

For many long-term cannabis users, the usual jokes about the munchies feel far removed from reality. Over recent years, emergency rooms have reported a steady rise in regular smokers arriving with sudden bouts of severe stomach distress that leave them curled up and unable to function. What makes it more troubling is that these episodes return several times a year, often leaving both patients and clinicians unsure of what is going on.

Scromiting: What is Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)?

The source of the problem is cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a difficult condition marked by unrelenting nausea, strong abdominal cramps and repeated vomiting that can occur four or five times an hour, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

What Is Scromiting?

Symptoms usually appear within a day of cannabis use and can linger for several days. These episodes can be so overwhelming that emergency staff have adopted the term “scromiting,” a blend of screaming and vomiting that captures how distressing it can be.

Although cases have become more common, many healthcare workers are still relatively unfamiliar with CHS because it was only identified in recent years. This makes it easy to confuse with other illnesses such as foodborne infections or stomach bugs.

“A person often will have multiple emergency visits before the condition is correctly identified, which can be very costly,” said Dr. Beatriz Carlini, a research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine who studies the health risks linked to cannabis. Once a diagnosis is made, managing the condition can still be a challenge.

There are no approved treatments at present, and many standard nausea medications fail to bring relief, explained Dr. Chris Buresh, an emergency medicine physician with UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

This often pushes doctors to try less common options, including Haldol, a drug usually used to manage psychosis. Some people experience temporary improvement from applying capsaicin cream to the abdomen, as the warming sensation can help lessen discomfort for short periods.

Hot baths and showers are another frequent source of relief. Many patients report staying in the bathroom for long stretches to calm their symptoms.

“That is often something that helps confirm the diagnosis for me,” Buresh said. “People say a hot shower is the only thing that brings any comfort, and they end up using all the hot water in the home.”

Scromiting Recovery Challenges

Once the worst phase passes, long-term improvement is not always straightforward. Because CHS comes and goes, some cannabis users assume an episode was caused by something else and continue smoking, only to fall ill again, according to UW researchers.

Even for those who accept the diagnosis, quitting cannabis can be difficult due to dependence, which prolongs the cycle of nausea and vomiting, Carlini said. The only known cure is to stop cannabis use entirely.

Researchers still do not know the exact biological cause of CHS. The leading idea is that years of heavy cannabis use overstimulates receptors within the endocannabinoid system, which may disrupt the body’s usual control over nausea and vomiting, as outlined by the Cleveland Clinic.

Why this affects certain users and not others remains unclear. “We do not yet know if it is tied to wider access to cannabis, higher THC levels, or something else entirely,” Buresh said.

“There seems to be a point at which people become vulnerable to this condition, and that point varies from person to person,” he added. “Even small amounts of cannabis can trigger vomiting once someone crosses that threshold.”

A study released earlier this year by George Washington University researchers examined 1,052 people with CHS to learn more about potential risk patterns.

The findings showed that those who began using cannabis at younger ages were more likely to return to the ER with hyperemesis episodes. Many reported daily use and long-term consumption, with 44 percent using cannabis regularly for more than five years before symptoms began.

CHS is not limited to adults. Data shows that emergency visits among American adolescents have increased more than tenfold between 2016 and 2023. While overall rates tend to be higher in states where recreational cannabis is legal, the sharpest year-to-year rise in adolescent CHS cases has been recorded in states where recreational use is still against the law.

People who rely on a commonly prescribed medicine may face a kidney-related side effect that needs medical attention. This drug is routinely used for high blood pressure and heart failure, and doctors often prescribe it after a heart attack. In 2024 alone, it was issued 34.8 million times. Beyond lowering the risk of future heart attacks, strokes, and kidney problems, it also improves survival when taken for heart failure or after a cardiac event. But which medicine raises this concern?

NHS ‘Kidney’ Warning For People Taking Ramipril

Ramipril (sold under names such as Altace, Vostally, Tritace, Cardace) belongs to a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors. Doctors use it to treat a range of heart and blood vessel problems because it relaxes and widens the arteries, easing pressure on the heart and reducing blood pressure. It is usually taken as a tablet, capsule, or liquid. Although ramipril is helpful for many people managing long-term blood pressure or heart issues, it can occasionally trigger side effects. Some reactions may be strong enough to require urgent medical help.

Is Ramipril a Beta Blocker?

Ramipril is not a beta blocker. It belongs to a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors. Both ACE inhibitors and beta blockers are used for blood pressure and heart problems, but they do not work the same way.

How Ramipril Works (ACE Inhibitor)?

Ramipril stops the body from making a certain enzyme known as ACE. When this enzyme is blocked, the body produces less angiotensin II, a hormone that normally tightens the blood vessels. With less of this hormone active, the blood vessels stay more open, which lowers blood pressure and helps blood move through the body more easily.

Ramipril Side Effects

Not everyone who takes ramipril will feel unwell, yet it can cause problems for certain users. NHS advice notes that long-term use may reduce how well the kidneys work. For that reason, anyone on ramipril may need routine blood tests so that their doctor can keep an eye on kidney function.

More common side effects, which may affect more than one in a hundred people, include:

• A light skin rash
• Blurred eyesight
• A dry or tickly cough
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Feeling faint or dizzy

Ramipril can also lead to more serious issues, though these are rare. These include:

• Kidney concerns shown by blood in urine, little or no urination, or puffy ankles
• Possible bone marrow problems such as unusual tiredness, frequent bruising, dizziness, or fever
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes, which can suggest a liver problem
• Severe pain in the stomach

In rare situations, ramipril can cause a serious allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. The NHS advises seeking emergency help if this happens. Signs include:

• Swelling of the lips, throat, or tongue
• A tight throat or trouble swallowing
• Sudden confusion
• Fainting and not waking up normally
• Blue, grey, or pale skin, lips, or tongue
• Very rapid breathing or difficulty breathing

More information about ramipril is available on the NHS website. Always speak with your doctor before beginning or stopping any prescribed medicine.