Do you struggle with ostomy pouch smells? You’re not alone. This is an issue for many people. You don’t want to smell bodily waste, and you definitely don’t want others to notice this either. Luckily though, there isn’t much for you to do to make sure that you have an ostomy pouch that doesn’t smell, and there are a few tips to ensure that your pouch isn’t too stinky or anything either. 

Check for Leaks 

One helpful way to get started is to check for leaks to your ostomy pouch. How do you fix it if it’s there? First, if you have a skin barrier to apply, ensure that the peristomal skin is shaven, cleaned, and dry. Don’t use lotions or soaps around this, since it can reduce the adhesion and also interfere with your skin too. If you feel that the skin is raw or weepy, you might want to try a different type of adhesive or other product since it might be irritated by the product itself. You also want to make sure that that you don’t have issues stopping you from using the ostomy pouching system, and if needed, consider adding an adhesive powder towards the barrier to help with moisture reduction, and to improve the health of your skin when you use the stoma bag as well. 

Deodorize Safely 

When dealing with ostomy pouches that smell, you might try to use cologne or perfume or try to use oils inside of there. But these fixes are quick fixes, and it won’t fully deodorize the urine and stool there but just mask the ostomy scents as well, and it may possibly damage the skin, the stoma itself, and affect your pouching system. You should instead use deodorizing products that are safe for ostomies. For example, there are pouch drops and tablets which you can use on this, and they control the odors in there. There is also a charcoal filter that absorbs the order that allows the air to escape, preventing the pouch from ballooning up, and there are many different products that are actually covered by different insurance plans, so you’ll be able to get the help that you need, handling it effectively. 

Empty the Pouch regularly 

Even the best supplies will definitely help to control, but you also need to empty and change the pouch the moment it starts to leak out, and the smalls become noticeable. Regularly changing this, while also emptying out your ostomy pouch will reduce the output that’s sitting in there. Plus, once you empty the pouch, it also reduces the pressure that’s there on your stoma. An ostomy bag that becomes too heavy will have odor, but also leakage too in most cases, and you can also create a schedule to empty and change the pouches for yourself. 

Your diet Maters 

Finally, you will want to look at the diet that you have and also evaluate it to help you figure out what’s crating more gas, odor, or more output of urine or stool. Alcohol, beans, eggs, fish, sugary elements, foods that are fried, asparagus, cheese, and even coffee ca actually increase the smells from your ostomy bag for a variety of reasons. If you want to, you can start to work to drink some cranberry juice, and also eat more veggies and fruits that help with this.  Try to have more dairy and take some probiotics. And finally, make sure that you’re hydrated, since this can help to reduce odors and also control the output from your stoma as well.