How Should a Colostomy Patient Care the Stoma and Peristomal Skin?

After ostomy surgery, caring for the stoma, skin around it, and a new ostomy life is a purpose. It does not mean that the ostomate cannot live or enjoy the previous life. But, his/her routine gets changed. An ostomate should know the importance of stoma care. A person has to protect the stoma and peristomal skin like a baby. You will have to adopt a few changes in your life to clean and protect the opening and its surroundings.

For colostomy patients, it is necessary to take care of their diet and ostomy appliances.

Importance of Diet for Colostomy Patients

A colostomy patient has to think about every aspect. He cannot afford loose motion, diarrhea, or constipation. Therefore, a colostomy person should take care of their digestive system and stomach. A person knows about the food he can digest or not. Some people cannot eat red beans, it causes gas and motion. Therefore, they should not eat that. Moreover, some people face constipation because of the red meat. So, avoid that if you are a colostomy patient.

A colostomy person should eat soft foods and small four to five meals. You should avoid eating dry fruits, red beans, pulses, meat, processed food, junk meals, onion, fries, grilled food, and noodles. A colostomy patient should take fresh fruits, fresh juices, white rice, green vegetables, and fish.

Change of Ostomy Appliances

A colostomy patient should know when to change the appliance. A person should not wait for the leakage. Usually, patients do not change their pouching system until the output touches the peristomal skin or the bag gets full. Well, this is the wrong habit os ostomates. If you are facing constipation, still you should change your stoma bag. In the early days of the surgery, you should change your pouching system three to four times; however, you can change it two times a day, once you know about your stomach. The discharge in the ostomy pouch should not touch the skin at any cost. Therefore, make it a habit, change the ostomy appliances at least two times a day.

Cleaning of Peristomal Skin

Every ostomate should know the importance of clean stoma and skin around it. You cannot afford to ignore any allergy or change signs around the stoma. It can damage the stoma, skin, and internal organs. The necessary point is to prevent leakage. You should wear an ostomy pouch that is according to the size and shape of the stoma. If you will wear a loose pouch, the waste will touch the skin. It can cause burning, itching, and allergies. Therefore, you should clean the stoma and peristomal skin. You can wash the skin around the stoma with the medicated essentials. The skin should always be fresh and clean. Colostomy patients suffer from leakage problems the most. Therefore, an appropriate pouching system and the right time for changing the bag can save your peristomal skin's health.

Cure your Skin Allergies

For a healthy stoma and skin around it, you should not have any type of allergy. A skin allergy can damage your stoma and skin. Moreover, to avoid any type of allergy, you should drink plenty of water. However, if you are already an allergy patient, then you should discuss your condition with the doctor, before the surgery. You should use a doctor's recommended skin ointment. Moreover, if there is anything you are allergic to, then you should not eat that. Many people are allergic to a specific fabric. Some people cannot wear silk, it causes burning and itching; therefore, if you have the same problem, then avoid such things. Moreover, always use medicated products for the cleaning and washing of stoma and peristomal skin.

Necessary Details about Colorectal Cancer

In the USA, more than 140,000 cases of colorectal cancer have been diagnosed each year. Well, it is a curable disease; thus, do not worry. In this blog, we will study about colorectal cancer and ostomy. Usually, when there is a tumor in caecum or colon, patient diagnosis with colorectal cancer. Let's start some facts about this disease, its treatment, and the need for an ostomy.

A human body's large intestine is approximately five feet long. It starts from the caecum and ends at the rectum. It is also known as the colon. The large intestine or colon has the following parts;

·       Descending colon.

·       Ascending colon.

·       Transverse colon.

·       Sigmoid colon.

Thus, caecum is an ascending colon. At this point, small intestine ends, and colon starts. After this, a transverse colon attaches, it goes from the right to the left. The descending colon goes downward from the left of the transverse colon. It then goes to the sigmoid colon. It is S shape and part of the large intestine. This last section connects to the rectum. It is about eight inches long and goes to the anus.

A digestive system passes the content from the small intestine to the large intestine. It absorbs all the essential nutrients and sends the waste to the colon or large intestine. The colon does not eject solid waste. It waits for the signals. The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are responsible for giving signals to the bowel or body for the next discharge.

Colorectal Cancer

This cancer starts with the malformed of the colonial cells. These are the cells of the colon inner lining, called the lumen. These units multiply, move forward, and perform their function. Therefore, when a patient has a tumor in the colon, it grows slowly and expands the disease. With time, it abrades the layers of the bowel. In the initial stage, a person does not feel any pain or pang. However, these tumors get enlarged without giving you any feelings or signals. Sometimes, they spread so quickly. Within no time, these Polyps occupy the colon, lymphatic, and vascular system. These tumors are in different shapes and sizes. When they invade the entire large intestine, they cause cancer, called colorectal cancer.

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

As I write in the above para, these tumors do not give you pain or any discomfort in the initial stage. Moreover, it is a curable disease when it is in its early phase. However, it will show you a few symptoms when the polyps start getting size. But, every tumor will have a different size, shape, and location. Therefore, they will show signs to your body according to that. Thus, the following are some common symptoms of tumor or colorectal cancer.

·       Dark red blood in the stool.

·       Pain in the back.

·       Blockage in the lumen.

·       Pain in the lower abdomen area.

·       Palpable masses.

·       Change in the texture of stool.

·       Diarrhea.

·       Constipation.

·       Bloating.

·       Anemia.

·       Tarry feces.

·       Rectal bleeding.

Treatment for Colorectal Cancer

The cancer is curable. Especially, when it is in its early phase, it is 90 percent treatable. In a few cases, 95 percent operable. When a patient is at stage two, it is 75 to 80 percent curable. For stage three, it is 70 to 40 percent remediable. Well, the last stage or stage 4 is a little bit problematic. A patient has only a 5 percent chance to get over of it.

Moreover, colorectal has different treatments and therapies. It depends on the patient's seriousness, on which stage a patient is at. However, the common treatments for colon cancer are the primary, secondary, or adjuvant treatment. The options in these methods are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The way of therapy depends on the goals of treatment.