For those who have an ostomy, one of the biggest nightmares and challenges is ostomy leakage. Those who live with this can feel embarrassed, and it might be a nightmare. You have to deal with changing not just the pouch, but also the bedding and clothes, and is a bit scary if you’re in public. But we’ll discuss some tips to try if you find your ostomy bag leaking in public or even in the comfort of your own home, so you can handle all of this immediately.
Ge the Skin barrier
Make sure that the ostomy barrier is right for your stoma. The right type and size of the wafter will sit next to the skin, keeping it protected from leakage and irritation, since you want to make sure that the stoma output that flows into there goes into the bag and not the barrier.
If you have a stoma that’s recessed or flushed, ask your doctor about how you can change to a different kind of skin barrier. Abdomens which are rounded, hernias that occur, skins that have creases or folds, or stomas that are flush or recessed do need special kinds of barriers.
Measure the stoma
If you don’t think you have the right size for your stoma, make sure that you do this. A skin barrier that’s not snug enough does cause leakage and other problems. Even if you’ve had the same stoma skin barrier, it may not be the same as it was say…a few months ago. That’s because the stoma does change slowly but surely over time, but usually the biggest changes are right after you get ostomy surgery, which is why you need to make sure that you properly measure ethe stoma, to ensure that it’s a fit that’s good for you.
Keep the Skin Dry and Shaven
To make sur that the ostomy pouch stays secure, you should make sure that you’re applying this directly to the skin that‘s clean and shaven. If you’ve been swimming or seating, or you’ve taken a shower, you should make sure to pat dry the skin there before you’re looking to apply a new barrier.
Don’t use lotions, hair removal creams, or soaps that are scented around there, and only use products that are safe for that area. If you do have body hair near that area, shave it carefully. You may need to shave it frequently, since the regrowth of hair does affect the seal of the stoma barrier.
Keep it Healthy
You should also be mindful of the peristomal skin that’s around there. If you notice that it looks raw, irritated, has rashes, or is weepy, this is a sign that the skin is not healthy, and there are problems with this. First, you should talk to the doctor or the nurse about your problems, since they are more qualified than just an article to give you the advice on your skin issues. They may look into this for you and may tell you whether or not it’s due to a reaction of the skin, or if there is a bad-fitting ostomy pouch, or leakage and irritation from too many changes to the barrier. You should talk to the doctor about different ways to reduce the irritation of the skin. For example, ostomy powder is a good way to help make sure that the barrier is nice and dry, helping to keep the health of the peristomal skin, while also making sure that you increase the wear of the ostomy pouch as well for you.
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