Ostomy care
High-quality daily ostomy care is a prerequisite for a normal existence, which is quite possible even in such a difficult situation. Currently, people with a stoma have access to a lot of everyday life of an ordinary person, including swimming in the sea and swimming in the pool, almost all sports, except for power ones, have long become the norm of travel with an ostomy, including air travel. That is, provided that the stoma is properly cared for, a person will not be infringed and knocked out of the rut of his usual life.
The basic rules for caring for your stoma are as follows:
1. Before carrying out any manipulations, you must wash your hands with soap and dry. This should become rule number one;
2. when replacing the colostomy bag, it is necessary to separate it from the skin carefully and carefully, trying not to damage the skin, since even microtrauma can subsequently bring significant problems;
3. Each time, when replacing the colostomy bag, it is necessary to wash the stoma with warm water and neutral (baby) soap. If this is not at hand, you can use a neutral skin cleaner, or limit yourself to rinsing thoroughly with plain water;
4. When drying, the stoma should be gently blotted with soft napkins or a towel, avoiding the use of fibrous fabrics (such as cotton or paper napkins), which leave microvilli. Small fibers interfere with the hermetic fastening of the colostomy bag, and can also cause irritation and inflammation of the skin;
5. it is forbidden to use strong substances, such as alcohol and alcoholic tinctures, to treat the skin around the stoma, as they cause irritation and dry out the skin;
6. Make sure the skin around the stoma is clean and completely dry before applying the colostomy bag. Long hairs in the stoma area should be carefully trimmed with scissors without injuring the skin. Any other method of hair removal in this place (epilation, shaving) is unacceptable;
7. Caring for the stoma involves the timely emptying of the colostomy bag. Due to the differences in design, you should strictly adhere to the recommendations contained in the instructions for the model used;
8.
burning and other unpleasant sensations in the stoma area, as well as a violation of the tightness of the fastening are the reason for replacing the colostomy bag;
9. when going on a trip, make sure that you have everything you need to replace the colostomy bag, and that you have everything you need in excess;
10. it is undesirable to replace the colostomy bag immediately after eating. It is optimal to do this 2-3 hours after a meal, or in the morning, on an empty stomach.
Having mastered the simple rules of stoma care, even in such difficult conditions, a person will be able to ensure a good level of comfort and health.
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