Stoma powders sprinkled sparingly to any moist irritated skin, to ease discomfort. Barrier creams or sprays can be used for a short period of time. Non-sting stoma pastes to help with adhesion of to the flange to the skin.
For any sore or itchy patches calamine lotion can help or a barrier of cream/spray such as Cavilon. Make sure that these are fully dry before trying to reapply your pouch. Be careful of which creams you apply as some may affect your pouches ability to stick.
Red or sore skin around your stoma is usually caused by leakage from your pouch and the output from your stoma getting underneath the appliance and onto your skin.
Chances are, if you are suffering from soreness around your stoma, it is because output has gotten on your skin and your adhesive has started to breakdown and go mushy. You may have been accepting this as normal for life with a stoma, but it needn't be that way.
To treat irritated skin around the stoma you can use stoma powder under the ostomy appliance. The powder is available from a medical surgical supplier.
Just take it slow and don't expect to be able to go straight back into your normal routine. It takes around 8 weeks to feel fully recovered from stoma surgery.
The reality is, peristomal skin should be intact without irritation, rash, or redness. The skin around your stoma should look just like the skin on the other side of your abdomen, or anywhere else on your body. The skin around the stoma should be intact without irritation, rash, or redness.
Most people with stomas may have to go through a stoma infection. However, it is a possibility that anyone with a stoma should know about it. The first sign of a stoma infection may be a pus-like discharge, unusual swelling, increasing redness, or color changes.
A urostomy will pass urine and a small amount of mucus into a drainable bag that is fastened with a bung or a tap (Burch, 2008). These bags can be used alone, but many people with a stoma (ostomates), in addition to their appliance, also need a stoma accessory, such as a barrier cream.
Or, if you prefer, you can apply the paste directly to clean, dry skin around your stoma. Allow it to sit for a few minutes, while you prepare to apply the pouching system. Center the skin barrier opening on the stoma and gently press it against the skin for a minute.
When the skin becomes infected it can start to look inflamed and the infection tends to cause some swelling around your stoma. The skin colour often changes from a healthy pink/reddish colour, to pale, bluish purple or even black. If there is any discharge of blood or pus this is often a definitive sign of infection.
The powder will stick to the open raw skin. No stoma powder should be left on the surrounding skin because it will not prevent irritation and it can interfere with the adhesion of your ostomy system. Once your skin heals and it is no longer moist, stop using the stoma powder, it is not meant to prevent skin irritation.
If the stoma remains prolapsed for long periods of time then there is more risk that it will become swollen. This is because when the stoma hangs down, fluid pools at the tip of the stoma and causes it to become swollen.
If the skin around the stoma does not appear to be similar to the skin on rest of your abdomen, it is likely that you have a skin issue that needs to be addressed. The skin barrier should protect your skin. If the skin is irritated (red, moist, or sore to the touch), the pouch seal can fail and leakage.
A stoma should be a beefy red or pink color. The stoma is created using the lining of the intestine which should be moist and shiny.
In most cases, granulomas are small, raised, red bumps around the stoma. Often occurring at the junction where the stoma joins the skin, but can also be seen on the stoma itself. For some, the granuloma is not obvious at all, but can cause some bleeding which may lead you to seek a review of your stoma.
The easiest way to clean your stoma site is to gently wash it with warm water using the dry wipes provided and then pat dry thoroughly using a clean dry wipe. Avoid using paper towels as these can get stuck to the stoma, always use dry cotton wipes.
You can bathe and shower as normal with your stoma and, unless you have been specifically advised otherwise, you can do so with the stoma bag on or off. It won't fall off in the water if you choose to keep it on and if you bathe with the stoma bag off, soap rinsing over the stoma isn't a problem.
The pouches are odor-free, and they do not allow gas or stool to leak out when they are worn correctly. Your nurse will teach you how to care for your ostomy pouch and how to change it. You will need to empty it when it is about 1/3 full, and change it about every 2 to 4 days, or as often as your nurse tells you.
This pain is often due to intercostal nerves caught in scar tissue or even stitched when the surgeon closes the site. This can lead to irritation and inflammation that produces a burning or stabbing sensation in the area of the colostomy site. Most people experience radiating pain from the abdominal wall to the side.
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.
Skin Irritation
This is usually due to leakage from the ostomy device. This is when output from the stoma seeps under the adhesive part of the wafer and output is now touching the skin. This can be painful as well as damaging to your skin and your ostomy device.