Is Your Stoma BLOCKED

If you or anyone you know has a stoma, you may be entitled to financial compensation. That is just a joke and a reference to an older commercial about mesothelioma. What I’m trying to talk about is the problem of stoma blockage. That’s right – feel free to shake in your baby seal skin leather boots all you want. Ostomates everywhere shutter at the sound of a stoma blockage, because it is quite possibly the worst thing that can happen to them in their minds. Well, I am here to set the record straight and to tell you a thing or two about stoma blockage. The number one thing being that it is not as bad as you think, and that there is no need to freak out okay? So put down the phone, stop calling the ambulance, and just spend some time reading this article that will helpfully ease your anxieties about a stoma blockage. 

First of all, you have to know how to identify a stoma blockage. There are a few telltale signs that your stoma may be blocked, and this can help you identify it in the long run. One sign may be that your flow of disgusting, vile, putrid waste has slowed down or stopped altogether. If you are going a long time without getting much of anything collected in your ostomy bag, then that could be an indication of something more serious going on (like a stoma blockage). There are two types of blockage – one in which a gross smelling liquid will slowly trickle out (yes, more smelly than your normal waste). The other is that there will be nothing coming out of your stoma at all. Another symptom in addition to all this is that you might experience some stomach aches or discomfort in your abdomen. Cramps, aches, and pains may be a sign that you have some seriously backed up body parts my friend. It is okay, there is definitely something that can be done for you, and there is no need to freak out.

There are some stoma blockage treatments that can be performed by yourself at home. Now, I am legally obligated to tell you that you should not try any of these treatments on yourself if you have not yet talked to your doctor or primary care physician, so keep that in mind as we go forward. In summary, just know that I am not medically liable for you if something goes wrong after you try one of the methods I describe next, so there you have it. One way to treat the blockage is to just start absolutely chugging water. I mean just inhale water and anything else you can get your hands on. Fruits, juices, even carbonated drinks can help get all that nasty stuff out of your system. Hot tea can be helpful as well. If you do have a stoma blockage though, make sure you do not continue to eat foods, because this can just put you in a whole lot of pain and lead to a quick trip to the hospital.

It also might be helpful to slightly massage the area around your stoma to really work out the stress and tension it might be feeling. Massaging the area gently could help encourage all that junk to work its way out.