Many ostomates worry about odour. If the stoma bag fits well there should be no smell except when changing it. If you do notice a smell from your bag, you should check it as there may be a leak under the flange and the bag will need changing.
When the skin barrier isn't properly adhered to the skin to create a seal, your ostomy can leak odor, gas, and even stool or urine under the barrier.
About Your Wet Colostomy
After your surgery, your urine (pee) and stool (poop) will leave your body through your wet colostomy stoma. Your stoma will have 2 parts (see Figure 1): A urinary diversion. Your urine will flow from your kidneys, through your ureters, and out of your body through your urinary diversion.
It's common for an ostomy and pouch to go undetected. No one will know that you have an ostomy and pouch unless you tell them. You may choose not to tell many people.
After a stoma, the bottom part of the bowel no longer has poo passing through it, but it still produces mucus. Dead cells from the lower bowel or rectum may be mixed in with the mucus. The mucus may leak out of the anus, or you may feel the urge to go to the toilet.
As you may have gathered so far, there is not a major difference between a colostomy and an ostomy. A colostomy is actually a type of ostomy that allows the body to pass stool when the colon is not working properly, or if a disease is affecting a part of the colon and it needs to be removed.
You can drink alcohol. Alcohol can cause dehydration, so make sure to drink enough water. Remember to consult with your physician before using alcoholic beverages as alcohol may not mix well with your medication.
Stool and gas will leave your body through your anus, as they did before surgery. At first, you will have more frequent bowel movements, up to 15 per day. You may have mild bowel control problems and may need to wake up from sleep to pass stool.
The studies revealed the average age of a person with a colostomy to be 70.6 years, an ileostomy 67.8 years, and a urostomy 66.6 years.
People with a stoma smell
It is believed that this myth came about because early ostomy supplies were not odour-proof. However, with modern stoma bags there should not be any smell at all.
You may notice more odor when you empty your pouch after you eat certain foods. Some of these foods are onions, garlic, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, fish, certain cheeses, eggs, baked beans, Brussels sprouts, and alcohol.
"The entire stoma bag is held securely by tapes directly attached to the skin, which are replaced every few weeks. "The process I use to change bags is very similar to changing normal adult diapers... As you can imagine, it can be pretty messy at times.
For many people, having a bag or pouch attached to their body is a huge emotional adjustment. It might feel odd or even scary at first. Those are completely normal feelings, says colorectal surgeon Amy Lightner, MD. But know that you can be active, wear fashionable clothes and live a happy, full life with a stoma bag.
People with ostomies may potentially develop problems like diarrhea, constipation, odour, gas and/or blockage. Most can enjoy a regular diet, but it may be necessary to make some adjustments if any of the above problems occur.
If you're having trouble sleeping after your ostomy surgery due to worries about leakage or rolling over on your pouch, that's completely normal. But some options will help you relax and get back to a restful sleep schedule. Here are our top tips for improving your sleep after ostomy surgery.
Make sure your clothes are not too tight around the bag.
You may need to be careful that waistbands do not rest below the stoma restricting ability to drain into your pouch. Depending on stoma placement, you may feel more comfortable with high- or low-rise waistband items, like underwear, jeans, or activewear.
It's best to eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods for the first few weeks after your surgery. Bland foods are cooked, easy-to-digest foods that aren't spicy, heavy, or fried. Eating bland foods will help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms, such as: Diarrhea (loose or watery bowel movements)
A stoma is an opening in the tummy created during surgery. A bag is usually put over it to collect poo (a colostomy) or wee (a urostomy).
Some common complications of stoma include poor siting, parastomal hernia (PH), prolapse, retraction, ischemia/necrosis, peristomal dermatologic problems, mucocutaneous separation, and pyoderma gangrenosum. Each will be discussed separately in further detail.
You'll have more gas than usual immediately after having a colostomy, but this will slowly reduce as your bowel recovers. Your stoma nurse can advise you about products you can use to help reduce any smell and give you dietary advice to reduce gas.