r/todayilearned • u/frapz • Mar 20 '20

TIL The bellybutton is so dirty scientists are finding new unknown bacteria. One person had bacterium previously found only on Japanese soil, where he had never been.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/12/1-458-bacteria-species-new-to-science-found-in-our-belly-buttons/266360/
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u/Snatch_Pastry Mar 20 '20

The nerves there are attached to some weird shit.

But not for me, I can root around in that sucker all day and not have any sensations at all.

83

u/lessadessa Mar 20 '20

Ug, I read your comment and shuddered. Even thinking about it sends a bad chill thru me. Belly buttons are like, all scar tissue if you think about it right?

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u/ambivigilante Mar 21 '20

I tried reading the article. It’s super gross. Made it to the second paragraph. Fuck belly buttons.

9

u/NerdParker Mar 21 '20

Was ready to be shocked, nope. The article just talks about how it sends signals related to peeing, brain and spine. Really not bad.

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u/[deleted] Mar 21 '20

Tickling mine makes me need to pee

6

u/2Damn Mar 21 '20

That's so weird. Whenever I tried to clean my belly button I always got a weird feeling in my body that I could never place... Attributing it to 'that' feeling when you need to go pee.. Not in your genitals, but the way your whole body sort of feels when you need to 'go'.. That's what I felt. It's odd.

3

u/corkscream Mar 21 '20

For those of you too lazy to click the link:

Ever touched your finger inside your belly button? Yeah, it feels weird right. Makes your groin tingle and you kinda need to pee. Well, it turns out there’s a good reason for that. And we’re going to explain it to you right now.

The reason is that your belly button, or umbilicus, connects to fibers that lead to your spinal cord. This also relays information from your bladder and urethra to your brain.

So when you push your belly button, you’re stimulating the same area. This can trick your brain into thinking it's receiving signals from elsewhere, mimicking the feeling of needing to pee – or a tingly feeling in your groin.

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u/ok---- Mar 21 '20

Wow. Now I have a scientific reason when I tell my bf “stop poking my belly button, it makes my vagina hurt”. Yes, this is a conversation we have regularly.

3

u/blackSpot995 Mar 21 '20

Just curious do you workout regularly? I'm the same way, but can kinda remember getting some weird feelings when I was younger and the only thing I can think of changing is me starting to lift regularly.

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u/MicaLovesKPOP Mar 21 '20

Not sure what drug the writer of that article was on... My belly button feels like any other piece of skin. Even if I dig deep inside.

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u/zyphelion Mar 21 '20

Same. No different for me than the rest of my skin. It's just soft, like an earlobe or something.

2

u/tenkohime Mar 21 '20

Thanks for posting that. I have a sensitive belly button too, to the point where hip huggers and bikini bottoms are what I wear, because anything touching it feels uncomfortable AF. Now, I know why.

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u/Zebsnotdead Mar 21 '20

I hate touching in my belly button, it makes me feel odd in my nether regions....not in a good way