Trying To Get Rid Of Gas In Your Ostomy Pouch?

Nobody likes someone who is gassy. I can remember back to this specific time in middle school when this kid named Gerald lit up the entire Spanish class with one of the nastiest farts that I have ever had the displeasure of smelling in my entire life. The teacher literally yelled at him and asked him to leave if he was going to do that again. We had to open the classroom door and all the windows and turn on the fans - it was that bad! The same can be said for people with an ostomy.

Gas is bad enough for normal people who do not have to wear an ostomy pouch, but there is a key difference between flatulence as a normal person and as a person with an ostomy. Normal people can usually control when their gas is coming out by the normal function of their body and digestive system. However, people who have a stoma cannot control when their gas is released into their ostomy pouch, meaning that someone with an ostomy pouch can have a full pouch of gas and not even do anything to stop it. Well, this can create several problems for people with ostomy pouches, especially if they are in any sort of social situations or something like that where it is not easy or acceptable to empty the ostomy pouch full of gas.

That’s why I wanted to take the time to write this article today, so that I can talk about what to do if your ostomy pouch is full of gas and how to prevent a lot of gas from occurring. First off, it is important to note that there are certain things that can bring on a lot of gas in a person. One factor is the type of food that you eat. I am sure that the doctors have informed you on foods that can make you gassier and lead to a full ostomy pouch, but I will quickly go over some of them myself if you are unfamiliar. Certain foods like cabbage, beans, and spicy or hot food can cause a lot of gas to occur in your body.

Also, it can be said that chewing gum or drinking carbonated beverages can also create a lot of gas. Really, anytime you find yourself inhaling a lot of air, while chewing with your mouth open or talking while eating, you will find yourself with a lot of gas on the tail end (pun intended). If you want to avoid having a full ostomy pouch all the time because of your gas, then I suggest you try to find things like I mentioned on a regular basis.

It is also worth mentioning that there are certain types of ostomy pouches made specifically for people who struggle with gas. Some ostomy pouches are drainable, and I am sure we all know that. However, did you know that there are ostomy pouches that are made specifically for people with a lot of gas? That’s right - there are ostomy pouches capable of releasing gas into the air from the pouch. This means that, if you are experiencing a ballooned up ostomy pouch, you can release some of that gas and relieve some of the pressure in the pouch. However, I am sure you are well aware that the gas is going to stink so bad once you release it from the pouch.

Tips For Traveling With A Stoma

Most people love traveling. After all, why have we been born onto such a huge planet other than to travel it and see the world? Personally, I enjoy traveling but I have never left the country. Granted, I am pretty poor and haven’t really had the opportunity to leave the country yet, but if I could I would like to go to Europe at some point in the near future. All that being said, there is a bit of a difference between traveling for normal people and people traveling with a stoma.

If you are unsure of what a stoma is, it is when someone’s intestines, colon, or some other internal organ is rerouted through their abdomen and then outputs their bodily waste into a bag called an ostomy pouch that is connected to them. I know that this sounds pretty gross, but this is something that we all have to collectively face as human beings and be there for our ostomate brothers and sisters. Anyways, it is true that even people with ostomies like to travel. However, if you are planning on traveling in the near future with the addition of a stoma, then you may need to know a few more tips and tricks before you head out. After all, we all know life is a bit more complicated when you have to wear an ostomy pouch everywhere you go.

The first thing you will want to do before you begin traveling with an ostomy is to calculate how much supplies that you will be needing. People with ostomies know just how crazy it is to have enough stoma supplies on hand at all times. There is actually quite a bit that goes into caring for a stoma and changing an ostomy pouch as well, so usually these people have to lug around quite a bit of gear when going anywhere for an extended period of time. So it might be really helpful to figure out what types of products you will need for your trip and order things in advance.

Obviously you will need the ostomy pouches themselves, but you may need to include various skin barriers, adhesives, stoma plugs, stoma powder, deodorizing products, and other things like that. The biggest tip that I can give you is to pack more than what you think you will need - that way, you won’t find yourself running out of ostomy supplies in the middle of some national forest or something like that. After all, it is a pretty common saying that it is better to be safe than sorry.

Another tip that I have for you is to take care of yourself and your ostomy hygiene while you are travelling. I cannot not tell you how many stories I hear about people with ostomies not taking proper care of their stoma because they are too busy having it or want to take a vacation from worrying about stoma care. This makes me so angry - not taking care of your stoma and your ostomy needs is probably about the dumbest thing that you could do.

Do you want to have to go through another surgery? I’m sure you don’t. That is why it’s important to continue to really clean out your stoma and the area around it, as well as continually apply various stoma products that you need to keep everything working smoothly down in that region.