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Ostomy supplies should never be a concern for anyone. Clean, sterile ostomy supplies are vital for making sure you keep your stoma clean and bacteria-free. People with a stoma are a greater risk of infection because of the constant open wound on their abdomen. Here are some tips to keeping your stoma nice and clean not only during a pandemic, but always.

Clean Your Stoma.

A general rule of thumb is whenever you change your ostomy bag, you should clean your stoma. Most people use a type of bag from ostomy supplies that allows the bag to be changed every four days. Every four days is a totally acceptable time to clean your stoma, as well. Sometimes cleaning your stoma too much can cause irritation. Especially on your skin. The skin can get irritated and then that could irritate and infect your stoma. Clean your stoma with a mild, unfragranced cleanser and water. Some people even just prefer warm water and a washcloth to clean the area. Make sure you let the area dry completely before applying any paste or adhesive.

Order Supplies Ahead of Time.

Most of your products can be on recurring orders every few weeks or months for your ConvaTec ostomy supplies. This is nice because you don’t even have to think about your order, it just comes. If you do not utilize this feature, you should look into pre-ordering your supplies for several months. There is nothing more convenient than having exactly the products you need every single time. There is no stress of running out of something, especially in a time like this.

Empty Your Bag Often.

One reason to empty your bag often is to prevent leakage. Leakage can cause skin irritation and can infect your stoma. If you notice your bag is getting too full (especially at night) you should set your alarm to wake you up to empty your bag. This will also allow you to keep the same ostomy bag longer. As mentioned above, it is best for your skin and stoma to clean them once every few days. If you are experiencing leaks multiple days in a row, that is multiple times you have to clean your stoma and multiple times you have to remove and apply adhesive. That creates a lot of irritation for your skin.

If you ever notice anything irregular about your stoma, you should contact your doctor immediately. Do not let your stoma become infected and then not seek medical help. That can be very dangerous and cause major damage to not only our stoma, but your intestines.