The peristomal area and skin conditions

The Peristomal Area

The area around your stoma, where your pouch is attached, is called the peristomal skin. Healthy peristomal skin should look and feel just like the rest of the skin on your body. If you notice any swelling, redness or rash, or even a persistent itch, you could have irritated skin.

The sticky area of your stoma bag, called the skin barrier, is designed to protect the skin whilst allowing the peristomal skin to function as it normally should. It is important that this area is kept clean and protected from the stoma output.

It is most often the stoma output that causes soreness of the peristomal skin and not the continuous removal of the skin barrier. If the peristomal skin becomes uncomfortable, itchy and painful, your stoma bag needs to be taken off, the area washed, rinsed and dried and a new stoma bag re-applied.

Itchy Peristomal Skin

Itching without any obvious reason for its cause is a common complaint from many people. If you are experiencing this kind of skin irritation, it might be worth visiting your Stomal Therapy Nurse as they might have a newer product solution to help you.

It's important to find the right type of stoma product for your body. This includes the shape of the skin barrier and the fit. The opening of the skin barrier should be just 'snug' to the stoma with no skin exposed. If you still experience leakage you might need a different type of product. 

If you have any questions about peristomal skin, speak to your Stomal Therapy Nurse or doctor.

Peristomal Complications

The best course of action is to prevent skin problems before they become an issue.

It is important to keep the peristomal skin clean. Don't let this become excessive as cleaning and scrubbing can be very harsh on the skin and can remove the protective layers of skin around the stoma.

At some point, many people experience some sort of skin condition. If you are concerned about your skin because it is feeling sore, itchy, burning or looks red, is weeping or bleeding see your STN for advice. It is better to treat skin conditions promptly than put up with it and risk the skin getting worse. Remember to re-size the hole you are cutting every week for 6-8 weeks and allow only 1-2mm of skin to be exposed. Once you have been cutting the same size for a couple of weeks, contact your STN as pre-cut appliances may be available.

The following problems can cause skin issues:

• Improperly fitting skin barriers.
• Pouch leakage.
• Skin irritation from skin barrier tape.
• Rash under your stoma product.