Problem: Article: The most common cause for unpleasant belly button odors is dirt and sweat. In most cases, washing up with a little soap and water will clear up any unwanted smells. If it doesn't, you might have an infection. Look for symptoms such as: Scaly red skin Tenderness or swelling in or around your belly button Itching Yellow or green fluid or pus leaking from your belly button Fever or general feelings of illness or fatigue If you think you have an infection, make an appointment with your doctor right away. They can evaluate what kind of infection you have and tell you how to treat it properly. The appropriate treatment will be different depending on whether your infection is caused by bacteria, fungus, or yeast. Don't try to guess what kind of infection you have, since using the wrong treatment could do more harm than good. Your doctor may swab your belly button to get a sample for testing. This can help them determine what's causing your infection. If it turns out you have an infection in your belly button, you may need to use an antibiotic or antifungal ointment or powder for a while to clear it up. Your doctor may prescribe a medication or instruct you to buy one over-the-counter. Treating the infection should also get rid of any nasty odors or discharge! Follow any other home care instructions your doctor may have, such as: Resisting the urge to scratch or pick at your infected belly button Changing and washing your bedsheets and clothing regularly to prevent reinfection Avoiding sharing towels with other people Wearing loose, comfortable clothing to help keep your belly button cool and dry Cleansing your belly button daily with a saltwater solution Sometimes a cyst can form in your belly button, potentially leading to swelling, pain, and bad-smelling discharge. If you have an infected cyst in your belly button, your doctor will probably drain the cyst in their office. They may also prescribe oral or topical antibiotics to help clear up the infection. Follow their home care instructions to help the cyst heal properly. Ask your doctor for detailed instructions on how to clean and care for your cyst at home. They may recommend putting a warm, dry compress over the area 3-4 times a day. If they applied a dressing, you will need to change it at least once a day until your doctor says you can stop using it. If your doctor packed the cyst with gauze, you'll need to return to have it removed after 2 days. Wash the wound with warm water once a day until it heals (usually within 5 days). If the cyst comes back, you might need to have surgery to remove it completely. For deep cysts, such as urachal cysts, the surgeon will probably make a tiny incision and remove the cyst using delicate instruments, guided by a camera. You will likely need to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days after the surgery, and should be able to return to your regular activities in about 2 weeks. If you have a deep belly button and don't clean it often enough, dirt, lint, and oils can build up inside it. Eventually, these materials can form a hardened mass, called an omphalith or navel stone. If this happens to you, make an appointment with your doctor. They can use forceps to gently pull out the stone. In many cases, navel stones don't cause any symptoms. Sometimes, however, they can cause sores and infections to develop. You can prevent navel stones by cleaning your belly button regularly with soap and water.
Summary: Look for signs of infection if regular washing doesn't work. See your doctor for a diagnosis if you have infection symptoms. Use topical medications to treat a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection. Ask your doctor to drain a belly button cyst if you have one. Visit your doctor to get navel stones removed if necessary.

Problem: Article: When you do get a chance to ask for feedback, the last thing you want to do is show up unprepared. Before asking for feedback and advice, take some time to think about where you need them most. Taking the time to prepare beforehand will show you respect the person's time and willingness to discuss things with you. If you can, consider sending a list of these points by email before meeting with the person. This will let them give your request some thought before you meet, allowing for more effective feedback. Keep your list short. Two or three points should be sufficient. Examples of points you can mention are your performance on specific projects, specific flaws they think might need fixing or your attitude. Avoid asking only very specific or overly vague questions. Ideally, most of your questions should fall somewhere on the spectrum between these two options. Of course, you can have specific requests and more general questions, but you should mix and match the two categories. This will ensure that you receive a complete feedback, which will help you more effectively put it into action. If you're concerned about your performance on a specific project or task, definitely ask about it. You should also ask questions that encourage positive feedback, such as "What are some things I'm doing well?" Whether the answers you're getting are too vague or you're just not exactly understanding what you're being told, you shouldn't let the matter lie. Don't hesitate to ask them to clarify their point. Ask for examples. For instance, if you're told that your time management skills could use work, ask for an example of a situation that better time management could have improved. Do so politely, otherwise, you might not get the feedback you want.
Summary:
Prepare a list of specific points that need feedback. Vary your questions. Go after specific information.