For those with an ostomy, usually they have a decent experience with it, but sometimes, there are problems with the peristomal skin, and here, we’ll go over the different issues, and what you can do to take care of this.
Why care about Hygienic Peristomal Skin
After an ostomy, you will learn the ostomy pouch and how to change it. At the same time, you’ll learn about the proper skin care. Why is it so important though? That’s because the irritation of this is more than just uncomfortable and may hurt, it actually can lead to damage and infection, and it can make it harder for the pouch to attach, especially with moist and raw skin. The best way to avoid this is to practice good hygiene, using ostomy products that fit you.
How to Heal skin when there are Problems
Usually, to heal those areas, you will first want to talk to your doctor, and they can examine the area. If they notice any of these issues, they’ll give you a proper regimen on how to change it. Usually, the most common skin issues are based on how they look. If your stoma feels hot and wet, not moist, that’s a problem. If it looks red, weepy, or a lighter pink or deep red, that also may be a problem. If it becomes sore and itchy, that’s also a sign of a skin problem too in someone who has a peristomal skin problem.
Common reasons for Skin Conditions
The most common one is usually ostomy leakage, which is where the urine and stool get underneath your skin barrier, and touches the healthy skin beneath it, and that can break down the skin and irritate it. This is usually because your ostomy skin barrier isn’t correct, and if you’re using the wrong one, especially if you have recessed or prolapsed skin, you may need a specific barrier.
Another reason is skin allergies, or there is a sensitivity to something in the product, usually adhesives but also sometimes the barrier or bag that you’re using. Sometimes, the skin problem might be due to the adhesives. Similar to skin that’s sensitive, you may be stripping the skin because of the adhesives, either because it’s a reaction, or because you’re removing these way too fast. Skin barrier changes usually cause this. On the flip side, too much pressure around the stoma also may cause irritation. This is usually due to the ostomy bag that’s not being supported. It can happen due to an ostomy belt being too tight or wearing restrictive clothing.
And finally, a common reason is you’re not cleaning it correctly. You should be cleaning it on the regular. If you’re not doing that, it causes rashes, redness, or even reinfection of the area as time goes on. If you clean it too much, or use anything with oils, scents, or any sort of perfumes around there, this also is cause for skin irritation of the peristomal skin barriers as well. If you notice this is happening, you will want to make sure that you talk to a doctor or professional to help with this, giving you the best solution, medications, and the like to help with this.
Another good thing, is to practice the correct hygiene, cleaning the area that’s around there on the regular, taking care of it. You definitely will want to talk to your doctor or nurse for advice .You also may want to try showering without the pouch on, to help to clean off the skin. However, this can impact the output too.
