Showering with an Ostomy
When you have an ostomy, you are likely to be worried about everything, from going to sleep to using the toilet. One of the things that you would want to know about is whether you can shower with an ostomy and if there are certain conditions that you must bear in mind. The good news is that showering with an ostomy should be the same as showering without having one. It totally depends on you whether to shower with the pouch on or off regardless of ostomy type.
The pouch is designed to withstand water. It should be perfectly fine even if it gets wet. You should use a blow dryer on a cool/ low setting if you shower with the pouch on. It will help ensure that your skin and pouch are dry. It is crucial that you make sure that the pouch is completely dry as moist skin can lead to a yeast infection or any other skin irritation.
On the other hand, if you want to shower without the pouch, you should keep in mind that your ostomy does not care about you wearing a pouch or not. However, you would find yourself pooping while showering. Since you are likely to know about your body’s digestive flow, you should be able to time the showers according to when your stoma would be least likely to function. But, it does not mean that there is a guarantee. It should not matter whether water touched the stoma or not. However, it is best that you do not use the shower head spray directly using firm pressure. The bowel motion (peristalsis) will ensure that you do not get water inside the stoma as its job is to push things out and not in.
Now, it is important that you wash your skin around the stoma gently. If you decide to use soap, you need to go with one that is not oily. It should also not leave any residue behind since oils and residue will make it difficult for you to wear your next ostomy pouch. It would prevent the pouch from sticking in. It is a good idea to use a blow dryer on the cool setting once you are done with the shower to dry out your skin and close the pores. It will also prevent the body from generating heat and moisture under the base plate after you have put it back on. Besides, it would only result in an insecure seal.
Conclusion
Even if you prefer showering with your ostomy pouch off but are traveling abroad, you should skip the step and keep the pouch on as there is no guarantee about what foreign water can do. It could make you sick as it hits your stoma. Finally, you should also consult with your doctor whether you can shower or not if you have wounds that are still healing. It is hoped that you will find the post to be useful as only the most important information has been shared about showering with an ostomy.