The umbilicus, commonly known as the navel, and the Shen Que point in traditional culture, has many household legends. It is the channel through which the fetus obtains nutrients from the mother, and it is also a versatile source of folklore for healing, health care, and gong practice. So what exactly is the belly button? Essentially the belly button is the scar left after the umbilical cord is shed after the birth of a fetus. It is usually a small depression, can also be flat or a small protrusion. For women, the belly button is still the most ambiguous and open visual element. Each person’s belly button shape varies, medically divided into T-shaped, oval, vertical, horizontal and twisted type, good-looking and ugly each happy. But there is a belly button should be more recognized ashamed to see people, which is the protruding belly button, as this pregnant woman self-deprecating is Doraemon’s bells. But as a doctor, I want to tell you, the protruding belly button can be more than just unsightly so simple, it is likely to be disease. Yes, the most common type of protruding belly button is an umbilical hernia. Most adult umbilical hernias are formed later in life, unlike the congenital pediatric umbilical hernia, partly secondary to other diseases in the abdominal cavity. In other words, it is an external manifestation of a problem inside the body. Pregnancy and obesity are the most common causes of umbilical hernia, as is ascites, and long-term constipation and chronic coughing can also trigger umbilical hernia. In particular, various tumors in the stomach such as intestinal cancer, gynecological tumors, teratomas, retroperitoneal tumors, etc. may be the cause of umbilical hernia. What should we do when we find a protruding belly button? 1. We should see a hernia surgeon to confirm whether there is an umbilical hernia or other umbilical disorders. 2. The patient needs to be given a detailed medical history and examination to rule out possible causes of the umbilical hernia. We need to treat the cause and the umbilical hernia separately or simultaneously. It is important to note that while we see umbilical hernia, we need to pay more attention to the possible disease behind the umbilical hernia, which is the culprit. What are the dangers of an umbilical hernia? An adult umbilical hernia will not heal on its own and will only get bigger. Adults with umbilical hernias are also very prone to hernia impaction and strangulation, where the protruding viscera become stuck and become ischemic and necrotic. Umbilical hernias can cause recurrent abdominal pain, nausea and discomfort. This is because, as with all hernias, the internal organs of the stomach (the umbilical hernia is dominated by the greater omentum) can enter the umbilical hernia through the defect. So how should an umbilical hernia be treated? Most umbilical hernias in children heal on their own by age 3, as long as they are monitored. Only very large, symptomatic children with complications or those who do not heal after 4 years of age require surgical intervention. Adult umbilical hernias require early surgical cure. Small umbilical hernias can be repaired with direct sutures without patching, while navel reshaping can be done to achieve good postoperative aesthetics. Large umbilical hernias often require an artificial patch to strengthen the repair, and laparoscopy is also a good option, although the shape of the navel is more difficult to recover after surgery. Finally, may each friend have a healthy, attractive belly button!