Metro Maryland Ostomy Association, Inc.

Each person's stoma is unique.  The stoma is always red and moist, much like the mucus membrane in your mouth.  A stoma is not painful, as there are no nerve endings in it, but many blood vessels near the surface.  Minor, temporary bleeding of the stoma is normal if it is rubbed or hit.

You should expect predictable, sustained wear time from your pouching system.  This is related to the type of skin barrier--convex or flat--and a number of other factors: i.e., climate and your activity level.

Some people prefer to change their disposeable or reuseable pouches daily, while others wear their pouching systems for up to seven days.  If you have trouble getting your skin barrier to stay in place, you may need to get help with fitting and product selection.  The best source of help is a certified wound ostomy continence nurse (CWOCN, known formerly as an ET nurse).

The skin barrier is the "waxy" part of your pouching systems that sticks to your skin, primarily responsible for holding your pouch to your body.  Manufacturers have developed many kinds of skin barriers, including thin pectin-based wafers, transparent sheets of "breathable" plastic film, pastes and powders.  There are wipes and sprays called skin sealants or protectants. 

Sometimes these are used under the skin barriers, helping to protect the surface layer of skin from frequent pouch changes.  When sealants are used, they need to dry thoroughly before anything is put over them.

Tapes and/or belts may be used as an additional support, but if the skin barrier doesn't hold, the tape alone won't be enough.

Everyone produces gas.  Normally people release gas about 15-20 times a day.  Air-swallowers produce even more.  You do not make noises so often that you cannot pretend that your stomach is growling.  Be the fastest elbow in the west: place your forearm firmly against the stoma. Sometimes wearing a two-way stretch binder, girdle or pantyhose to muffle the sound when it is audible. 

Avoid skipping meals, gassy foods, carbonated drinks, drinking through a straw and chewing gum.  Eating slowly, sipping rather than gulping and not talking while eating can reduce air swallowing for those with a fecal ostomy to lessen gas passed through the ostomy.

No!  Those with any type of ostomy will be fitted for pouching systems, which are completely odor-proof, virtually all that are sold now are.  Moreover, one can achieve odor control through diet.  In addition, for all people with ostomies there are deodorants for external use and odor-reducing compounds to be taken by mouth, should they be needed.