Is Your Ostomy Pouch Gassy (Let Me Help)

Yes that is correct - probably the most annoying thing about having a stoma is the infamous problem of gas. Flatulence is not usually a big deal for most people, especially because you can generally control when your gas is released. However, if you have an ostomy, you cannot control when your gas comes out. It is just constantly filling up the ostomy pouch, which can lead to some pretty embarrassing moments. If your ostomy pouch gets too filled with gas, it can even leak out of the ostomy system and fill the room with quite possibly the worst smell that has ever been smelled in the history of mankind. That’s why it is really important for people with stomas to know all there is about having gas with an ostomy and know how to prevent it. If you don’t really know anything about gas, then let me enlighten you a little bit about how it works. Gas is mainly caused by two different things; the first cause of gas is by swallowed air. I was surprised to learn this facg a while ago, but it is actually true. I guess it makes sense that if you tend to swallow air, it needs to go somewhere after it is sitting in your stomach. The problem is that it is often mixed with various stomach and intestinal gas which makes it smell absolutely awful when it comes out. 

The other cause of gas is from bacteria that forms in the colon, and it is my belief that this type of gas smells even worse than the other one I mentioned. Now that you know a little bit more about how gas is formed, let’s relate it back to the world of ostomy so we can get a better idea of what we are up against. Firstly, it is important to note that producing gas through your stoma is normal and, to a certain extent, completely unavoidable. So if you are reading this article and looking for a way to completely eliminate any gas for the rest of your life, then I have some bad news for you; that is just not possible. However, since we have identified two of the main causes of gas, we can better figure out how to avoid as much gas as possible, and hopefully prevent your ostomy pouch from being filled to the brim with nasty gas every 15 minutes.  

The problem of swallowing too much air can be addressed by a couple different methods. Firstly, there are some things that can cause you to swallow a lot more air than normal. One of these is chewing gum, which actually causes you to swallow quite a bit of air each time you do it. So before you think about trying to chew gum everyday, think about the consequences it may have on your stoma’s quality of life. Personally, I do not chew very much gum ever, so this one is not a problem for me. But also, I do not even have a stoma, so none of this is a problem for me! Anyways, you can also swallow a lot of air if you drink beverages through a straw throughout the day, or if you drink a lot of carbonated beverages. Hopefully this is helpful for you on your next day out!