Perhaps, you are here because you have been either trying or have succeeded in conforming with ‘life’ after usrostomy. So, you know it’s not an easy job. Only with the dexterous use of proper accessories and urological supplies (that have been invented to make life easier and smoother for ostomy candidates) you can thrive to live a peaceful life.

Dealing with the smelly urostomy bag

When there's ample use of urological accessories, there comes additional work of cleaning and maintaining them too. Before delving into the discussion of ‘cleansing and odor control’, this article takes a glance into what urostomy is?

A urostomy involves the surgery of the bladder. When the bladder malfunctions, surgical intervention is made to allow the urine to pass straight out from the kidneys. The opening in the abdominal wall through which the fluid travels out is the ‘stoma’. This opening is fitted with the drainage bag or the pouch. Cleaning, disinfecting, and controlling odor – all starts with changing or emptying the pouch!

Home remedies for smelly urine

Pouches need to be changed too!

The duration for which you can wear a pouch depends on the type of product you are using. Some need to be changed every day, some after 3 days while some can stay on for a week! Morning is the best time to change (before you eat or drink anything). However, timely emptying as well as changing the pouch keeps the growth of bacteria and foul odors away.

Besides pouch change and emptying of the bag, ostomy odor can be managed in the following ways...

Control your diet – Some foods are known to cause odor. Fish, eggs, onions, cheese, asparagus, broccoli are among them. You should at least control the intake of these items if not give them up completely! When you decide to have them, don’t forget to take some extra precautions! So, what are these ‘precautions’ that we are talking about? Precautions could involve the use of odor eliminators and deodorizers (discussed later in this article).

You can use a filter in your ostomy pouch – Odour-controlling filters are available among other urological supplies. Some modern-day pouches are manufactured with an integrated filter. Some gases that build up within the bag are not only odorous but also increase the pressure causing leakage! Filters help release these gases safely and conveniently.

Ostomy Odor Eliminator

The Use of Odor Eliminators and Appliance Deodorizers

The urostomy appliance deodorants are quite similar to the normal deodorants that we use. They are mostly available in popular scents and thus help in getting rid of the foul odor. Odor eliminators, on the other hand, are not scented ones that mask or hide the foul odor. Instead, they eliminate it completely! They are usually available in sprays or in the liquid form – you can spray a little or place a few drops both before applying the pouching system and while emptying it.

Alternatively, ostomates also use room fresheners. Modern-day products in use include a chewable odor eliminator (containing bismuth subgallate), which is FDA-approved. Tic Tacs dropped at the bottom of the urostomy bag also works!

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How to empty a urostomy bag?

1. The ideal time to empty the pouch is when it is ½ or 1/3rd full already. This calls for rather frequent changing since bacteria easily grows in urine

2. In the daytime, you normally go to the toilet each time you need to empty the bag. The bottom of the bag is fitted with a valve; unfasten it and empty the content into the toilet bowl and flush. Yes, it is as simple as passing the urine!

3. Close the valve and dry the valve-end of the bag with a toilet paper.