Patient Education / For nurses / Patient handout
Patient handout · Gastrointestinal (GI)Caring for Your Colostomy: Your Daily Guide
A colostomy is an opening on your belly, called a stoma, where stool leaves your body into a pouch. Good pouch and skin care keep you comfortable and help you spot problems early.
Check your stoma
- A healthy stoma is moist and pink to red, like the inside of your mouth.
- A little bleeding when you clean it is normal.
- Dark red, purple, black, or pale is not normal.
- It shrinks in the first 6 to 8 weeks. Measure it at each change.
Empty and change the pouch
- Empty the pouch when it is one-third to one-half full.
- Change the skin barrier (wafer) every 3 to 7 days, or right away if it leaks or itches.
- Cut the hole 1/8 inch (2 to 3 mm) bigger than your stoma.
Care for your skin
- Wash with warm water. Pat dry.
- Do not use oily soaps or lotions.
- Check for redness or sores at each change.
Eat and drink well
- Chew well. Try one new food at a time.
- Beans, cabbage, onions, and fizzy drinks cause gas. Eggs, fish, and garlic cause odor.
- Drink about 8 cups of fluid a day unless told otherwise.
Bathe and stay active
- Shower with the pouch on or off. Water does not hurt the stoma.
- Do not lift more than 10 pounds for 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.
- Ask your surgeon when to return to work, sports, and sex.
Call your provider today if you have
- Red, sore, or broken skin around the stoma
- A bulge around the stoma
- No stool or gas for ____ hours, with cramps
- A pale stoma or a pouch that keeps leaking
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have
- Heavy bleeding from the stoma
- A stoma that turns dark red, purple, or black
- Severe belly pain with a swollen belly and vomiting
This handout supports, not replaces, advice from your own nurse or doctor.
For nurses and nursing students: the teaching guide behind this handout →