Frequent Stoma Bleeding and Inflammation Concerns

My stoma seems to be injured a lot. Healing time is fast but  then it's something else a few days later. My stoma bleeds a lot. Sometimes blood gets into my pouch from the bleeding around and on the stoma.
I'm wondering if my intestines look like what my stoma looks like. The redness, inflammation and bleeding is it the same inside and out? Does anybody else experience bleeding a little or a lot? I know it's normal to bleed but how much is normal? 

Hello royalrose.

What a great question! which I obviously don't know the answer to. Mostly, my stoma will bleed on the outside and, as you indicate, will stop and start without causing too much hassle or concern. This week ( for the first time) my pouch had a significant amount of blood in it which seemed to be from the inside of the stoma. This was much more concerning, but seemed to stop fairly quickly. I think if it happens again, I may well ask if the medics can have a look to see what's going on in there. Unfortunately, from my perspective, I think that they are likely to cause more damage trying to gain access, than there is damage in there to begin with. THus,  I am  reluctant to take this step. Also, with this pandemic thing going on, the hospitals seem like the most dangerous places we can possibly be at present, so maybe any internal investigations can wait - for me that is!

Best wishes

Bill 

Hi royal,

  If you think about what a stoma actually is........I'm surprised it doesn't bleed all the time. Your stoma is basically the sectioned face of your intestine. And your intestine is a massive collection of small blood vessels that run lengthwise inside your bowels with a sausage-skin like covering. The blood vessels when cut don't form a covering of skin over them like when your skin is cut. Instead the bleeding stops only because the blood escaping from the now open vessels clots. So the vessels don't actually close......instead they're "capped" by clotted blood. The clots themselves are very delicate and any force applied to them, such as when you bump your stoma, causes the dried blood (that forms the clots) to crack and crumble....and you start bleeding again. I've always wondered why the stoma face isn't cauterized when it's installed. Maybe someone can explain that. 

  So bleeding is to be expected, but if you're experiencing bleeding significantly heavier than normal (which is different for everyone) you might want to have it checked out. Routine bloodwork (the prothrombin time (PT) test will tell how quickly you clot). Sorry I can't be more precise than that.......but if I bump my stoma, or rub it because it itches, I'll see blood in my bag.

Regards,

Bob

I had a little bit of bleeding the other day and it was more than before. It kinda scared me at first., but it did not last long. I think sometimes the stoma can get irritated from the edge of the hole in the flange. If the hole is cut to small it can rub the stoma. But that may not be the problem you are having, You may need to get it checked out if it continues. Stay safe

I leave a little air in my bag to kinda work like a cushion to help protect from  bumping against it.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister