What are some problems that can happen with my stoma?
• Skin problems: Your skin may become very red, sore and weeping (always wet). Your skin may become irritated if you do not have a tight seal around your stoma and urine touches your skin. Keep a watertight seal around your stoma. Keep the skin around your stoma clean and dry to prevent skin problems. • Urinary crystals: Urine should be acidic. If it is not acidic, urinary crystals may form on the stoma or skin around the stoma. Urinary crystals look like white, gritty particles and may irritate the stoma or cause it to bleed. To prevent urinary crystals, keep the skin around your stoma clean. You can also make your urine more acidic by taking vitamin C. Applying a vinegar compress to the stoma for a few minutes when you change your pouch may also help to reduce the crystals. To make a vinegar compress, mix equal parts of water and white vinegar. Talk to your caregiver about what you can do to treat and prevent urinary crystals. • Stoma retraction: Retraction happens when the height of
