Odors and Ostomies

Do you remember that time when you were a kid and all of a sudden you smelled something unpleasant and of course the first question that comes out of your mouth is, “who let one go?”. And then you were given a response in return that went a little something like “hey he smelt it dealt it!” And then you all laughed, because back then farting was hilarious, and you all went about your day like nothing had happened? Yeah, those were the good old times. These days, when an unpleasant smell starts to linger in the air your first thought is “oh gosh, I hope no one thinks that was me.” And pretty much everyone else in the room, including the person who is the cause of the smell is thinking it too, except everyone is ignoring it because no one wants to own up to it? Yeah, now times that awkwardness by about a million and that’s where you land when you’re dealing with odor from an ostomy bag. It’s literally one of the worst feelings in the world. Mostly because it’s completely out of your control, and because trying to explain that particular odor to someone would make any sane person want to curl up, lock themselves away, and never come out of hiding. Thankfully though, this doesn’t have to be you. If you’re experiencing odor trouble from your ostomy pouch, there are solutions that can help you hit refresh, literally, and be able to go about your day clean and stink free. 

 

The first and foremost solution to implement is empty your ostomy pouch regularly. Seriously, you would think this would be obvious, but hey days get busy and when you’ve had the pouch long enough that it has literally become like a third arm, you can easily forget it’s there. But by emptying it regularly, you will be able to assure any smelly odors are long gone, and hopefully avoid any leaks from it overfilling. 

 

The second solution, and one that deserves about 101 articles of its own, is your diet. Believe it or not, the foods you eat can affect not just body odor, but the smell of your urine and feces. And it’s not just about avoiding foods, which is a good thing to do, but eating a diet that is anti-inflammatory and can help gastrointestinal distress. However, for time’s sake, here are some gas-producing foods that would be good to avoid. 

 

·       Apples

·       Beer

·       Cabbage

·       Onions

·       Dairy

·       Beans

·       Brussel Sprouts

·       Carbonated Soda

·       Asparagus

·       Etc. 

 

A third helpful hint is trying an odor eliminator. Pouch deodorants for instance are a great way to help mask the smell of the contents of any pouch. All you have to do is place one in the pouch after you empty or change it out. There are also odor eliminating sprays, filters, medications, and some people have even found success using, and not kidding, Tic Tacs…but maybe talk to Doc about that one. 

 

Finally, if all of those are still failing you, go see your doctor to make sure you have the right ostomy bag or bag size. If yours is from cheap material or too big or too small, it could be the cause of leaking, even with feces, which is why you’re having so much trouble with odor. 

 

Smells can literally be the worst. But they don’t have to be your problem. If you’re struggling with unwanted and unappealing odors from your ostomy bag, give these tips a shot, and see if they can help you become as fresh as a daisy!