One of the necessities of ensuring effective stoma care is
to look after your peristomal skin. You are going to have to avoid feces or
urine from coming into contact with the skin around your stoma, or it can lead
to soreness and inflamed patches in the peristomal skin. Not only is this
leakage a source of discomfort, but it can also compromise the ostomy bag’s
ability to stick to the skin.
In this article, we are going to talk about ways to prevent
and treat infections that tend to occur in the peristomal skin area.
Cut to the correct size
You have to make sure that you have cut the ostomy bag to
fit the size of your stoma. For this purpose, first, you need to measure the
stoma. Using those measurements, you will need to cut the wafer to create a
hole that if of the exact size and shape of your stoma. If the hole is too big,
it can leave room for the leakage to occur. And if the hole is too narrow, it
can obstruct the excretory pathway.
Consider using the barrier ring or paste
Any uneven cracks or edges around your stoma can result in a
poor seal between the skin and the wafer. That can further lead to leakage,
which is never a good thing for skin health. You can use a barrier ring or
stoma paste to create an even surface to ensure a good seal.
Convex pouch
An inverted stoma is the one that sits below the surface of
the skin. Understandably, it is not easy for a normal skin wafer to form a
proper seal with the skin around the stoma in that case. The best solution, in
this scenario, is to use a convex pouch, which consists of a skin wafer that
protrudes from the side that has to go against the skin. However, you will need
to be sure whether a convex pouch is the right choice for you. You may need to
talk about it with your doctor.
Use adhesive remover
The skin barrier comes laden with significantly strong
adhesive whose purpose is to form a leak-proof seal with the skin around the
stoma. The downside, however, if this adhesive is that it is not very easy to
remove from the skin when you need to change the pouch. Pulling the skin
barrier while it retains much of its adhesion can cause injury to the peristomal
skin. That’s where you can consider using an adhesive remover. This remover can
dissolve the adhesive, making it easy for you to take the skin barrier off
without causing any injury to the skin.
