
Although occurrence of a lump above the belly button should not be alarming, a medical checkup is still necessary. This is because the lump could be a sign of cancer.
A lump in the stomach may be the growth of a small bulging tissue, or a mere swelling area. Sometimes, the lump may be harmless, while in some cases, it may be a dreadful cancerous tumor. That is why a medical diagnosis is imperative, as it is better to err on the side of caution.
# If we go by the maximum number of cases, the first thing that comes into picture, while speaking of the formation of a lump in the stomach is the disease of abdominal hernia. This condition refers to the weakness of muscles of the abdominal walls to such an extent, that the internal organs can find their way out of the wall. In other words, they protrude or bulge out through the structure. And this bulge may be felt as the lump we are talking about here. The bulging gets more prominent or noticeable when the abdominal muscles are tightened due to activities such as lifting heavy objects, coughing, straining during bowel movements, etc.
Hernia can occur in three forms; umbilical hernia, inguinal hernia, and incisional hernia. The first one can be felt as a lump in the stomach. It is more common in infants, and is caused by the abdomen wall being protruded by part of the intestine. Inguinal hernia is a less common cause for the lump above belly button, because the protrusion usually occurs in the groin or scrotum. And the incisional hernia can result from a scar left by an abdominal surgery.
# Swollen lymph nodes in the abdomen can also be felt as lumps. The lymph nodes perform the task of fighting infections, and while they are doing that, they may sustain swelling. So a lump in the abdomen may also signal a possible infection.
# Lipoma is nothing but a growing fatty lump that develops between the skin and the muscle layer. This lump is generally less than 2 inches, and can be moved with the help of a slight pressure of your finger. Usually, this lump is not bothersome, unless it grows and starts pressing against the nearby nerves, thus causing pain. Also, this condition is not linked with cancer, and it is genetic in nature with no known cause.
# In men, the case of lump not in the stomach but in the abdomen may be associated with what is known as cryptorchidism. It refers to the failure of one or both the testicles to descend into the scrotum before the birth of the child.
# Not in all cases, but in a few of them, a soft or hard lump that is felt in the stomach area above the belly button or below it, can indicate a cancerous disease known as carcinoid tumor. The condition is a slow-growing cancer that does not show any symptoms, until it has reached an advanced stage.
So it can be inferred from the description above that none of the possible causes of lump in the stomach are too mild to be ignored. It is true that a lump is not always associated with cancer, but sometimes the person may not be lucky enough. So if you come across any such problem, take a medical appointment and consult the doctor at the earliest.