Issues with
Ballooning
Ballooning challenges
When your stoma pouch inflates with wind, it’s called ballooning. This can cause problems with the pouch fitting neatly under clothes and can eventually lead to the pouch becoming so inflated that the adhesive can start to loosen and the pouch can start to leak or completely come away from the skin.
Solutions for ballooning issues
If you’re having ballooning issues, try the following to see if it helps:1-3
Remove foods that may cause wind and slowly introduce them back into your diet to see if that is causing the issues. These can include:
- Green beans
- Baked beans
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Onions
- Garlic
- Sweetcorn
- Peas
- Apricot
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Cucumbers
- Mushrooms
- Eggs
Check the filter on your stoma pouch is working correctly and isn’t blocked or damaged. If you find your stoma pouch isn’t working for you, you might want to try another stoma pouch which has a different filter system.
Wind can sometimes be due to ingesting too much air. The following activities should be avoided:
- Drinking fizzy/gassy drinks
- Talking when eating
- Smoking
- Chewing gum
Our products that can help with ballooning:
1. Gas in Pouch. SI Society https://badgut.org/information-centre/ostomies/gas-in-pouch/#:~:text=Managing%20gas%20once%20it%20is,it%20escapes%20from%20the%20pouch.
2. Eating with an Ostomy, United Ostomy Associations of America.
3. Nutrition Team: Dietary advice for people with a high output stoma. NHS University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.
4. Virgin-Elliston T, et al. Healthcare 2023, 11, 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030369.