Tips for Stoma Care

If you have a stoma, there are a few different tips that can help you with this. Here, we’ll go over some of the different tips for ostomates, who can use this for their benefits as well. 

Stoma Care tips 

First, you should learn to change your pouch before it leaks. That way, you’ll be able to get comfy with it, and get used to doing this. In general, twice weekly is usually what people do, but sometimes, some people can go longer depending on output. But, after seven days it must be changed since it can affect the adhesion of the skin barrier. If the wear time starts to be more unpredictable, especially after the first 8 weeks, you should talk to the nurse. 

It may also be affected by the warmer seasons o if you’re sweating more, or doing a lot more activity, do plan this ahead of time before you start to do the activity. As for traveling, always learn to plan things ahead of time. Make sure that you have extra supplies, always put them in the carry-on bag when you’re flying out, pre-cut the barriers so you don’t need to have scissors when traveling, and also get a travel ID for your condition and any supplies needed. 

For showering and bathing, you can keep the pouch in place if it’s a two piece system. Some people may want to switch to another pouch during this so that it is still dry afterwards. When you do empty out the pouch, you don’t need to rinse it out, since you can usually just get it all out of there. You can use pouch deodorant that lubricates to make this easier. 

Try to keep all oils or sprays that are lubricants away from the pouch. And finally, get rid of unused ostomy supplies, putting them in a place that’s cool and dry. 

Tips for Pouching 

If you want to use this, you need to make sure that you prepare the pouching system before removal, since it does help make the process easier. Make sure to empty it out when its about a third to a half full of gas or discharge, and don’t let the pouch fill up too much. You also should do it before you do any activities, or before bed. 

If you notice that there’s a lot of gas in the pouch, you may want something with a filter built-in. The best time to change this is usually when the stoma isn’t active, and before you eat and drink anything. Whenever you apply the skin barrier, make sure to press it for up to a minute against the skin area, to help with the pressure and contact. If you do have a two-piece system, try to place the barrier in a diamond shape, and then press it in to offer a fit that’s smoother. 

Skin Tips 

Water is usually more than enough to clean the skin, so make sure that you do wash your hands after you empty out your pouch. Try to only use a mild soap that’ll offer no residue or film and try to keep anything scented away from there. 

It’s better if you prepare the skin with wipes more than anything else, since it can help to clean. But you should let it dry. However, some people don’t like to use this since it does cause it to not adhere as well. You should also try to wash your skin as you remove the adhesive remover tape, and make sure that you always dry before putting on a new barrier.