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 should obviously handle your stoma with care, but there is no need to be afraid of touching it. To clean it, simply use tap water and soft medical wipes or soft cotton wool. The stoma and the skin around it doesn't need soap for cleansing, and in fact, soap could irritate it - as could baby wipes.
Only use warm water to clean the skin around the stoma, baby wipes and soap may contain perfume which can irritate. Check the size of your stoma every few months, always make sure your pouch fits snugly around the stoma. Take your time when changing your pouch, careful removal will help prevent damage to the skin.
For most people, water is sufficient for cleaning the skin. Less is better when caring for the skin around the stoma. If you prefer to use soap, it is usually best to use one without moisturizers, fragrance and perfumes, since this may interfere with the skin barrier adhesion.
For those that prefer to use soap to clean around the stoma, it's best to use a very mild soap. Avoid using soaps and cleansers with oils, perfumes or deodorants since these can sometimes cause skin problems or prevent your skin barrier from sticking. Rinse the soap off the skin around your stoma very well.
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.
If skin is open, irritated, broken, raw or weeping:
To treat affected skin around the stoma you can use Stomahesive powder under the ostomy appliance. The powder is available from a medical surgical supplier.
It's especially important to keep the skin around your stoma—called peristomal skin—clean and healthy. This helps avoid irritation, infection and potential complications. You'll need to clean around your stoma whenever you change your pouch. The key is to be gentle.
If you touch stoma, minor bleeding is normal. Pat skin dry. Aggressive cleaning can cause bleeding. If removing stomahesive paste from skin, use a dry cloth first.
Nurses in the community would wear them for the same reason, but you are only looking after yourself. If you think of before surgery, you didn't wear gloves or an apron when going to the bathroom, so when you're cleaning around your stoma you don't need to wear gloves.
The skin around your stoma should look similar to the skin on the rest of your body. Immediately after you take off the adhesive, it may be a little pink, but if this doesn't fade or if the skin is broken or damaged, your skin may be irritated.
The skin barrier is the most important part of the pouching system because it protects your skin from stoma output and keeps your pouch in place. There are many skin barrier options designed to provide the most secure seal around your stoma, prevent leakage, and protect your skin.
The stoma care nursing service provides inpatient care for anyone undergoing stoma surgery at UCLH. It also provides outpatient care for anyone living with a stoma in Camden or Islington, or for patients from other areas who have had their stoma surgery at UCLH. Conditions treated: Colostomy. Urostomy / Ileal conduit.
Colostomy irrigation
It involves washing out your colon with water either every day or every other day. To do this, you gently insert a small device into your stoma and attach it to a bag full of water. You slowly move water into your colon so it washes it out.
In fact, your care team may recommend that you leave it in place while you shower or take a bath. While soap isn't bad for the skin on or around your stoma, using it may loosen the skin barrier or make it less likely to stick. So only use water to clean around your stoma, and rinse your skin well if you do use soap.
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. It is important to regularly evaluate the skin around your stoma.
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.
Any break in the peristomal skin caused by leakage, allergic contact dermatitis or other chronic skin conditions. increases the risk of infection. The most common bacterial infections are caused by staphylococcus aureus or streptococci or both entering through broken skin.
Many patients use wet wipes to clean around the stoma, I personally advise against this for several reasons: Wet wipes contain chemicals and the additives used in the wipe is to maintain the moisture once the pack is opened.
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.
Stool irritation, product sensitivity and yeast are certainly the more common reasons for redness around the stoma.
You may wish to apply a skin barrier cream to the sore skin before applying your stoma pouch. This will help soothe any irritated skin. iLex is an extremely popular cream that many ostomates swear by.
A snug fit is key
To secure optimal adhesion the baseplate should be applied to clean and completely dry skin. Clean water is sufficient for the cleaning of your stoma and skin around it.
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.