Issues with
Odour
Concerns about odour
Many ostomates worry their stoma will smell and that other people might notice.1
Most people will be conscious of their stoma smell because it’s their own body, but someone standing near to you is unlikely to be able to smell the stoma.
Solutions for odour issues
There are plenty of options for you to try, all of which can help with odour but it’s useful to remember that post-surgery gas (and therefore smells) can be more common. This should start to settle down once your bowel recovers.
Consider your diet
It’s useful to know that controlling the smells inside the pouch is a good first step. For example, some foods seem to make smells worse and as we’re all affected differently by different foods, it’s worth working out which ones seem to affect you. Equally eating specific foods can also help reduce odours.
- Asparagus
- Baked beans
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Eggs
- Fish
- Garlic
- Green vegetables
- Onions
- Peanut butter
You can try removing these items to see if that helps the problem and any other foods that you feel might be causing you issues. You can then gradually try to add them back in to your diet and see if you notice a difference.
- Tomato juice
- Buttermilk
- Natural yoghurt
- Parsley
Remember, a varied and well-balanced diet is important for health and if you feel that your diet is becoming restricted, speak to your stoma care nurse who will be able to offer advice.
Check your stoma pouch
If your stoma pouch fits correctly and it is not overly full, there should be no smell, apart from when changing it. If there is a noticeable smell, check the pouch for leakages, including small leaks under the hydrocolloid. Also ensure that you regularly empty your pouch so there is no opportunities of the output overflowing or leakages.
If smells are becoming a problem for you, it may be time to consider alternative stoma pouches that fit your body better. Bodies and stomas come in all different shapes and sizes, so if a stoma pouch isn’t quite working for you, it might be time to try something new.
If you’d like to try our naturfit® range, please visit our samples page here where you can order free samples of our one-piece stoma pouches.
Consider an odour management product
If you’re still experiencing issues with odour, you could try some odour management products, which are easy-to-use and do not require significant lifestyle changes. These include:
- Deodorants: these come as in-pouch deodorants or around the room sprays when changing your pouch. Some medical adhesive removers also incorporate a scent to help with odour issues.
- Solidifying agents: these convert liquid output of your pouch into a manageable gel and help to reduce the possibility of leaks and malodours.
- Lubricating gels: helps output drop to the bottom of the pouch, helping to reduce leakages. Some also include deodorants or enzymes to reduce pouch odour.
Our products that can help with odour:
absorbagel® stoma sachets
Fast-acting solidifying agent to minimise odour, reduce noise and leaks for colostomy and ileostomy patients
liftplus® 360 and liftplus® 360 citrus stoma adhesive remover
Helps to reduce the pain associated with the removal of stoma pouch adhesives
1. Living with a stoma, Colostomy UK. Available at: https://www.colostomyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Living-with-a-stoma.pdf.
2. Dietary Advice for people with a Colostomy Patient Information Leaflet, St Mark’s Hospital.
3. Odour, Colostomy UK. https://www.colostomyuk.org/information/stoma-problems/odour/.