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Things To Know About Pouch Ballooning
Bloating or accumulation of gas in the ostomy bag can be one of the significant disturbances for ostomates. It doesn’t only put pressure back on the stoma and intestines but it can be a real cause of embarrassment.
The term bloating refers to the sensation of #abdominal pressure that can increase the size of the abdomen. Abdominal #distention also refers to the same sensation but it results in abdominal girth. About 50% of the patients who complain about bloating also report abdominal distention. We can describe bloating in simple terms as a sensation of fullness, heaviness, and discomfort. This condition can range from mild to severe. While the exact reason for bloating remains unknown, it commonly happens to the patients with IBS (Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome). However, it may be too early to treat IBS as a standardized reason for bloating.
Ballooning refers to the accumulation of gas through the stoma into the ostomy bag. This gas, or flatus, is a combination of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. These gasses produce as a result of colonic bacterial fermentation.
While normal gas release may not be an issue for both ostomates and non-ostomates, higher production of these gasses can be quite painful as well as embarrassing, especially for ostomates. Since the bag has to contain #stomal output, letting gasses accumulated in this bag to escape can have a ruining impact on the social life of an ostomate. And if the gasses are restricted from escaping, they can result in ballooning, excess of which can turn out to be significantly harmful to the stoma and the intestine behind it.
That said, preventing gas from accumulating in the pouch can be the best thing an #ostomate can consider. However, this prevention doesn’t refer to allowing the gas to release for the bag. Instead, it involves working on the root cause of it. For instance, a healthy and balanced diet does not result in the production of more gasses in the GI tract. Moreover, the way you eat and your exercising routine also contribute to how your GI tract produces, or not produces, gasses.
One of the most common bad habits that result in the production of gasses in the GI tract is swallowing more air. Several foods and beverages and the way people eat and drink them end up producing gasses, which can fill an ostomy bag like a balloon. Several activities such as smoking, drinking through a straw and chewing gum can also result in gas accumulation.
It means that the food intake and the method of that food intake are the primary contributors to whether or not your GI tract ends up producing gasses. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the food and beverage intake. Furthermore, you need to talk to your ostomy care nurse to get proper guidance regarding how to avoid gas accumulation in your gut.
Things To Know About Pouch Ballooning
Bloating or accumulation of gas in the ostomy bag can be one of the significant disturbances for ostomates. It doesn’t only put pressure back on the stoma and intestines but it can be a real cause of embarrassment.
The term bloating refers to the sensation of #abdominal pressure that can increase the size of the abdomen. Abdominal #distention also refers to the same sensation but it results in abdominal girth. About 50% of the patients who complain about bloating also report abdominal distention. We can describe bloating in simple terms as a sensation of fullness, heaviness, and discomfort. This condition can range from mild to severe. While the exact reason for bloating remains unknown, it commonly happens to the patients with IBS (Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome). However, it may be too early to treat IBS as a standardized reason for bloating.
Ballooning refers to the accumulation of gas through the stoma into the ostomy bag. This gas, or flatus, is a combination of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. These gasses produce as a result of colonic bacterial fermentation.
While normal gas release may not be an issue for both ostomates and non-ostomates, higher production of these gasses can be quite painful as well as embarrassing, especially for ostomates. Since the bag has to contain #stomal output, letting gasses accumulated in this bag to escape can have a ruining impact on the social life of an ostomate. And if the gasses are restricted from escaping, they can result in ballooning, excess of which can turn out to be significantly harmful to the stoma and the intestine behind it.
That said, preventing gas from accumulating in the pouch can be the best thing an #ostomate can consider. However, this prevention doesn’t refer to allowing the gas to release for the bag. Instead, it involves working on the root cause of it. For instance, a healthy and balanced diet does not result in the production of more gasses in the GI tract. Moreover, the way you eat and your exercising routine also contribute to how your GI tract produces, or not produces, gasses.
One of the most common bad habits that result in the production of gasses in the GI tract is swallowing more air. Several foods and beverages and the way people eat and drink them end up producing gasses, which can fill an ostomy bag like a balloon. Several activities such as smoking, drinking through a straw and chewing gum can also result in gas accumulation.
It means that the food intake and the method of that food intake are the primary contributors to whether or not your GI tract ends up producing gasses. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the food and beverage intake. Furthermore, you need to talk to your ostomy care nurse to get proper guidance regarding how to avoid gas accumulation in your gut.