Another part of being an ostomate is pouch ballooning, which is the accumulation of gas or bloating that commonly happens. These are something that happens when you’re not careful, and usually, if you have excessive intestinal gas, that’s the cause of this. usually, it might also come about if the garments are tight or based on what you’re eating as well. The problem with bloating in ostomates is that it’s largely subjective. The thing is, it’s not always the same in most people, since it can be mild or even severe, and it’s very difficult to fully quantify and it’s very hard to standardize too. Usually, this is in conjunction with functional gastrointestinal issues, such as IBS, and for the most part, those patients that ado have bloating usually don’t have the Rome III diagnostic criteria in place, since that’s not always the main criteria in this. Functional bloating is usually a symptom that isn’t as common, and usually, it happens because of different things. But there are a few ways to handle ballooning as an ostomate, and we’ll tackle this below. First, you need to not swallow more air than you normally do when eating. This along with smoking, sipping drinks, and chewing gum are what cause the accumulation of gas. But, for the most part just lower the time so that you’re not intaking that many air bubbles. Another thing you should do is balance out the consumption of the gassy foods and drinks. This is a big part of this, since carbs can cause bloating, abdominal cramps, and even diarrhoea. If you have things with lactose, sorbitol, or even fructose, this can cause issues. Beans also create a lot more gas, and some veggies which are more on the acidic end such as legumes usually are what cause this. they are prone to fermenting, and that’s what causes excessive gas within the common, so that means the malabsorption of food is usually the case for this, and that can cause the bloating and distension. The best way to handle this is to balance it out, and don’t overconsume those foods. If something is gassy to you, it might be better to avoid them. However, some of these are common. You should talk with your doctor to help you figure out how to balance out the foods and drinks in your body. Finally, try to do different pouch techniques. Some of them have charcoal waste filters in this, since it helps with gas. There are also those that have gas filters which let it slowly escape, so that it will absorb the odor and doesn’t allow leakage or the fluid effluent through the filter. You should try to make sure that if you do need to mitigate the ballooning, you separate the pouch from the system, let the gas escape, and then just put the bag back on. You essentially want to do that when you fee it’s really bad, so you can help prevent it from building up. There are other products out there which can help you with the gas buildup and controlling it. There are also supplements which you can take which can help balance out the body too.
Whatever the case, this can be embarrassing for most ostomates, but hopefully, if you take the time to figure out how to effectively balance this, you’ll be happier as well, and have less gas in the body too.
0 Comments
Cut-to-fit systems are good for those who need to have a customizable sort of size and shape to the stoma, especially if it’s not regular. Using this type of system however, does require a bit of help from an ostomy nurse or someone who knows how to cut these to fit the person, especially when the ostomate has physical impairments as well, and this of course, offers multiple benefits, including that it helps with those self-care routines and such. Those who live with ostomates will want to help give them care and ways to sustain proper health and quality of life. The provision of specialized care doe begin preoperatively and will continue throughout the postoperative and the rehabilitative period throughout the lifetime of those with the ostomy. Those who have stoma appliance and sizing issues and of course skin conditions and modifications may want to consider this type of cut-to-fit systems. Now, those who don’t have circular stomas, who have oval stomas, or have stomas that like to shrink will definitely benefit from these systems. Now, if there is a rounded and protruding stoma, or a stoma prolapse, you may also need a cut-to-fit system since it’s hard to maintain appliances in that case. A lot of times, after the first two months they can determine whether you need the cut-to-fit system or not. If there is a healed stoma that might have scarring tissue that distorts the shape, you may also need a cut-to-fit system. The contours of the abdomen might also affect the process. Of course, with time, once the healing process is finished, the stoma may then finally have a final size, and you still might need a custom system, and you might have to cut these to prevent skin irritation and leakage. The patient also needs to measure the size of the stoma once a week to report to the nurse any different changes.
So how do you cut these? Well, you want either scissors or a flange cutter, which gives you better results and are more accurate. Place the flange directly on some surface so you have the best opening. You should determine the size of the opening based on the measurements and then cut it about 3-4 mm larger so that there isn’t any trauma during removal. Now, you want to prepare the skin before you place the flange there and make sure that it’s properly cleaned, and you don’t’ have any excess paste or removers there. From there, you simply put it on there, and you make sure that it does have the correct sizing and such. There are also the pre-cut pouches which can be used in a lot of cases right after surgery, so that you can have an easier experience when it comes to collecting discharge, prevents the peristomal skin from damage, stops irritation and inflammation, and also prevents the bad odors as well. So what are the advantages of this? well, it’s adjusted directly to fit the shape and size of your stoma, and it doesn’t require any skilled professional to cut this, and finally, there is less risk of discharge accumulation behind this flange. So what are the disadvantages? Well, those with dexterity problems might struggle with this. there is also increased changes of poor placement of the flange and of course the risk of leakage and irritated skin, difficulties performing the procedure when you’re in public, and it can interfere with the social life. This can be good for those who specifically need it and might be something to consider with your doctor as well. |