You should keep the skin around your stoma dry and clean for the pouch to stick properly, but the stoma itself is a moist mucous membrane, like the inside of your mouth, and should remain moist; exposure to water during bathing is fine, but you need to pat the surrounding skin dry thoroughly and use gentle cleansers to prevent irritation from leaks or excessive moisture. If the skin around the stoma becomes wet or irritated from leaks, it needs immediate attention to prevent breakdown, using products like stoma powder to absorb moisture if needed, and then reapplying the barrier.
Check the stoma
Stand in front of a mirror, or use a hand mirror so that you can see all the way around the stoma. It should look shiny, moist, and dark pink or red. The skin around it should be smooth, with no red or broken spots.
Showering and bathing is part of everyone's daily routine and should be still enjoyed even if you have a stoma. You may feel concerned about getting your stoma or skin wet, but normal exposure to water and air will not harm your stoma in any way.
Many people enjoy leaving their skin uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes after taking their pouching system off. This is called a skin break. Taking a skin break can help with irritation or keep it from happening. You can decide if you want to take a skin break.
Dehydration. Having an ileostomy makes it harder to stay hydrated. If you notice signs of dehydration such as fatigue, dry mouth or lots of poo coming out of your stoma, speak to your stoma nurse or another healthcare professional to get advice.
water, fruit juice, tea, and coffee) can increase your stoma output, making you more thirsty and more dehydrated: Limiting those drinks and replacing them with oral rehydration solutions (eg. Lucozade Sport or St Mark's solution if this has been prescribed for you) will help your body reabsorb fluid and salt.
Taking a shower is probably part of everyone's daily routine, and your stoma should not prevent you from enjoying this ritual. You can even choose whether you prefer to shower with or without a bag, both are possible and you will see that a shower cover or shower guard may not be necessary.
If the bag fills unexpectedly then it could be down to a change in diet, a stomach upset or even something like nerves and stress can affect your output.
The most common signs of a peristomal skin infection include:
If you are using a closed bag, you may be changing it 1-3 times a day, it varies from person to person. For those with a drainable bag, particularly with a urostomy or ileostomy, you may be changing it daily or even every other day.
Don't use baby wipes, oils, and lotions on the skin around your stoma. These can make it hard to attach the pouch to your skin.
Sometimes the colon or ileum can become narrow near the stoma. Certain foods may get stuck in the narrowed part of the colon or ileum and cause an obstruction (blockage). These same foods could also make the stoma swollen and irritated. An obstruction is more likely to happen with an ileostomy than with a colostomy.
You may want to avoid certain foods that are difficult to digest and may cause blockages, such as nuts, fruit and vegetable skins and corn. Most people can return to their normal diet. If you have any concerns, speak with your doctor or stomal therapy nurse and they can refer you to a dietitian.
supplied with soft dry wipes to clean the stoma and the surrounding skin. If you obtain your prescription from other sources, you may choose to use toilet paper or kitchen towel to clean around the stoma. If you do use either of these, make sure you only use white, not coloured, paper or kitchen towel.
A colostomy is an operation where the large bowel (colon) is brought onto the surface of the abdomen to create an opening. The opening is also known as a stoma. You wear a colostomy bag that sticks onto the skin over the stoma to collect your poo.
If you allow it to get too full, the weight of the stool may pull the pouch away from the skin. A person with an ileostomy will need to empty the pouch about five or six times in a 24-hour period. If you have a colostomy, you will need to empty the pouch two or three times in a 24-hour period.
Aim: Anecdotally, many ostomates believe that eating marshmallows can reduce ileostomy effluent. There is a plausible mechanism for this, as the gelatine contained in marshmallows may thicken small bowel fluid, but there is currently no evidence that this is effective.
The best position to sleep in when you have a stoma is on your back, or on your side. If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, this will be fine at the beginning of the night but increases the chances of leaks as the night progresses and your bag fills.
That way you are always on the safe side. If you have recently had surgery, it is advisable to talk to your surgeon or stoma care nurse about showering and bathing on a daily basis. It is generally recommended that you do not take long baths in the first few weeks so that the stitches and the wound do not become moist.
Some of the most common stoma problems
You can try eating these foods to reduce your faecal stoma output: Starchy food such as white bread (white sourdough can be a healthier choice), white rice, pasta, noodles or peeled potatoes. Easy to digest fruit such as ripe banana, melon, peaches, mangoes or tinned pears.
Skin irritation around your stoma is usually caused by leakage from your ostomy pouch and the output from your stoma getting underneath the adhesive and onto your skin. It is uncomfortable and can stop your pouch from working well. The skin around your stoma should look similar to the skin on the rest of your body.
Foods that may cause constipation or blockage:
Vegetables with skins or stalks such as celery, peas or sweetcorn. Fruit with skins, seeds, pips. Wholegrain cereal such as All Bran, Weetabix, porridge or muesli. Wholegrain or granary bread.