After undergoing an ileostomy, a gastrostomy, or a colostomy, having constant proper care of the mark left behind becomes a part of your daily tasks. And with thanks to the invention of the various full-functional ostomy bags with adaptive ostomy bag covers, today you can get your normal life back even with an ostomy. But the little big question is how? On this page, I will show you everything you need to know about ostomy bag covers. Dive in.
Benefits and issues with pouch covers
Potential Benefits
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They protect the opened surface from further contamination
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When compared with support belts or ostomy wraps, these pouches are cooler, convenient to wear, easy to maintain, and fast to off
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As they come in a wide spectrum of patterns, sizes, and designs, you can always get the one that blends with your outfit
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They are reasonably cost-effective compared to other coverings
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You can swim with your ostomy cover in place, yay!
Potential issues
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Because they are mostly puffy above your bag, ostomy covers can make your bag more noticeable (you can always get one that doesn’t anyway)
- Some designs fall off easily, beware
How To Put On An Ostomy Bag Cover
With an exception to a handmade one, these covers usually come with a user’s guide that takes you through the step by step process of wearing them according to their designs. But just in case, here is a generic way to put on an ostomy bag cover effectively.
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Step 1; locate the back opening of your ostomy bag and feed the bag through that point
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Step 2; paying attention to the base or bottom of the bag, gently stretch the cover inside the bag through the fabric there
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Step 3; carefully adjust the rear opening of the cover to establish that it firmly and comfortably sits around the bottom of the bag.
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Step 4; if your bag comes with a floating flange, find a way to position the cover under the floating flange.
How Do I Stop My Colostomy Bag From Smelling
One of the things you want to avoid is ostomy odor. In this section, I will show you 5 ways to do just that.
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Avoid certain beverages and food; as different foods are digested differently, and some foods are naturally gas/odor-causing, paying attention to your intake becomes important. Other than avoiding bears, onions, mangoes, dairy products, nuts, pears, soda, apples, broccoli, and the likes, also avoid swallowing air by not chewing gums, smoking, drinking through straws, eating and drinking at the same time, and drinking carbonated beverages.
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Regular maintenance; emptying your bag thrice a day and washing them every day after use is important.
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Cash in on odor eliminators; other than applying sprays, drops, or tablets in the bag, also invest in room deodorizers and internal deodorants.
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Use filters; if yours doesn’t come with a filter to help release the emitted gas constantly so it doesn’t build up, buy an extra filter to be used prior to or after wearing your bag.