It’s important to know what your healthy stoma (click here for visuals) and peristomal skin look like. Healthy peristomal skin should look just like the skin on the rest of your abdomen. There are some symptoms to watch out for, and you should know when to contact your doctor. If you experience any of the following stomal or peristomal complications, contact your physician immediately.
Contact your physician if you experience any of these stoma complications:
- The stoma turns from its normal red color to a very pale pink, bluish purple or black color.
- An abnormal bulge is visible near or underneath the stoma
- The effluent (output) drains from anywhere other than the stoma
- The length of the stoma increases noticeably
- All or part of the stoma is below skin level. It may visually appear to be concave on the abdomen
- Separation between the stoma and peristomal skin is visible
- The diameter of output decreases along with cramps and excessive gas
- The stoma has a deep red, yellow or white partial discoloration (usually linear)
Contact your physician if you experience any of these peristomal skin complications:
- Any wound around your peristomal skin
- A skin rash that is red or dark in color and itches and/or stings
- Wart-like, pimple-like or blister-like bumps
- Weepy, red skin
- Recurrent pouch leakage
- Allergic reaction where redness is just on the skin that is clearly under the barrier
Contact your physician if you experience other like these:
- Blood in your stool
- Diarrhea
- Persistent pain
- A high-grade temperature
For more information, see related ostomy skin care articles and ostomy resources here:
- How To Clean the Skin Around the Stoma
- Skin Care for Ostomies | New Ostomates
- Peristomal Skin Complications | Characteristics, Causes and Management
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My 89-year-old mother loves to swim but she has found that the pouch fills with water when she gets into the pool. What can we do to fix this?
