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Tips To Avoid Ostomy Odors

Regardless of whether your ostomy is temporary or permanent, you will have to adopt some lifestyle changes. A significant part of these changes is related to your dietary routine and habits. Although you won’t have to adhere to a restricted diet forever, what you eat and drink will have a direct relation with what you pass out from the stoma.

So, it should not come as a surprise that one of the biggest challenges of ostomy management is managing ostomy odors. People who have to manage an ostomy are often more concerned about the odor emitting from their stomas when they are in public. Most of these people are afraid of the impact of this odor on their social lives.

The good news is that having an ostomy doesn’t mean that you will have to be concerned about strong odors. All you have to do is to stay prepared and know what to expect.

Here are some tips to help you keep ostomy odors at bay.

Your body’s response to food and beverages

You will have to know your body’s response to the food and beverages you take. The digestion processes of different foods and fluids vary. The digestion of any food has a direct impact on gas or odor produced by the GI tract. If you have an ostomy, you may have to be wary of eating some foods due to their tendency to cause odors. Usually, foods high in soluble fibers cause more gas. Here is a list of foods that you may want to avoid or limit the consumption of.

  • Apples
  • Asparagus
  • Apricots
  • Nuts
  • Broccoli
  • Onions
  • Peaches
  • Cabbage
  • Beans
  • Pears
  • Soda
  • Raisins

You will need to check the response of your back when you include them back into your diet. The best approach is to introduce one food at a time and see how it impacts your GI tract.

Emptying the ostomy pouch regularly

Emptying your ostomy pouch regularly is another way to reduce ostomy odors. The best approach is to empty an ostomy pouch when it is one-third to half full. A fuller bag becomes heavier, increasing the likelihood of the loosening of the seal. This loosening can result in the stomal output and gas leaking. If you are not sure how to empty your ostomy pouch properly, speak to your ostomy care nurse.

Using an odor eliminator

If managing your ostomy odors continues to be a challenge even after monitoring your food intake and emptying your ostomy pouch regularly, you can use an odor eliminator. You can choose from a wide range of products that help eliminate ostomy odors. These products are the following:

  • Pouch deodorants
  • Tic Tac
  • Odor eliminator spray
  • Some doctor-approved medications

Using a filter

Using a filter with an ostomy pouch is yet another method to eliminate ostomy odors. Your stoma will produce gas with bodily wastes. That gas can accumulate in the ostomy pouch, causing it to inflate, resulting in the seal between the ostomy pouch and the abdominal skin getting compromised. All it takes to address this gas accumulation problem is to use an ostomy pouch filter, which allows the gas to escape without the odor.