Symptoms of ostomy leakage

How to spot leakage and how it is different from mechanical irritation and other complications.

If you experience skin problems or complications, you should always consult your ostomy care nurse straight away. However, spotting evidence early can help you catch a potential skin problem even before it develops.

Start by looking for any stoma output, either on your skin or on the back of the adhesive plate. Even if there is no direct visual sign of leakage, be aware of anything unusual, such as if the adhesive plate looks 'melted' (because the adhesive has reacted with the output.)

Signs of mechanical irritation

If you skin is red, sore and moist, maybe even bleeding a little, but you have not had any leakage, the issue could be 'mechanical'. That means your skin is simply being irritated from removing the pouch too often, too vigorously or from cleaning or scrubbing the skin to roughly

To avoid mechanical irritation, try to be as gentle as possible, both when removing your adhesive baseplate and when cleaning the skin. Try to peel the plate off slowly, rather than ripping or tearing off. Using the other hand to hold the skin tight can help reduce stress on the skin. Adhesive removers may also help when removing the appliance.

Find solutions for ostomy issues such as ostomy bag leakage or irritated skin.

When you have an ostomy it's not unusual to experience issues such as ostomy bag leakage and irritated skin. However, most often they can be solved with little adjustments in your products and ostomy care routines. Our Ostomy Self-assessment Tools will support you in finding the solution that is right for you.

IMPORTANT! If you have any concerns - such as skin problems or how to use new products - you should always consult your ostomy care nurse.