Working, Staying Active, and Traveling When You Have an Ostomy

You should be able to continue the same activities as before your surgery. People with ostomies go to work, play sports, and engage in sexual activity. Reasonable activity will not hurt you or your stoma.

Know what's safe for your type of ostomy

Daily exercise helps you stay healthy and helps your body to function well. But it's important to know what activities may not be safe for your type of ostomy. For instance, many doctors recommend avoiding contact sports because of possible injury to the stoma from a severe blow. But special protection may be able to help prevent these problems. Talk to your health care team about any limitations you may have.

If you have a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy, you might want to wear longer shirts or exercise pants and shorts with higher waistbands to help your ostomy feel more secure. Sweating may loosen the tape that holds your pouch in place. If this happens, you might consider buying a specialized pouch for working out or use an ostomy belt.

If you have a tracheostomy, you will need to be careful with activities involving water. You will also need to guard your stoma from other harmful things, such as certain particles, objects, or substances in the air.

Swimming and water sports

People with abdominal ostomies can swim with a pouching system in place. For sanitary reasons, always use a pouch when you swim. Remember these points:

• If you use a support ostomy belt, you can leave it on if you want to.
• You may want to protect the barrier by taping the edges with waterproof tape.
• Before swimming, empty your pouch and remember to eat lightly.

Choosing a swimsuit

You may want to choose a swimsuit with a lining for a smoother profile. Dark colors or busy patterns can also help hide the pouching system.

For women:

• Consider a suit with a well-placed skirt or ruffle.
• You may also wear stretch panties made especially for swimsuits.

For men:

• Try a suit with a higher waist band or longer leg.
• You may also wear bike shorts or a support garment sold in men’s underwear departments or athletic wear departments under your bathing suit.
• Some men may prefer to wear a tank top and trunks, if the stoma is above the belt line.

Traveling when you have an ostomy

Having an ostomy shouldn’t stop you from traveling. Many people with ostomies can travel just like everyone else; this includes camping trips, cruises, and air travel. Here are some travel tips:

General travel tips:

• Take double the amount of supplies you think you will need for the entire trip plus some extras. Supplies may not be easy to get where you’re going. Even if you don’t expect to need them, take along everything you need.

• Put on a fresh pouch about 24 hours before you leave to make sure your skin barrier is well sealed.
• Bring along plastic bags with sealable tops for pouch and equipment disposal. Check to see if local areas have certain laws for medical waste that involve body fluids.
• Find out if and where you can get supplies before a long trip. A local ostomy support group may be able to help you find ostomy supplies and local medical professionals in the place you’re traveling to.
• Bring a list of the supplies you use, including stock numbers.

Traveling by car:

• Seat belts will not harm abdominal stomas when adjusted comfortably.
• Keep your supplies in the coolest part of the car. Avoid the trunk or back window ledge.

Traveling by plane:

• Remember that checked-in luggage sometimes gets lost. Carry extra supplies on the plane with you. Small cosmetic bags or shaving kits with plastic linings work well. These should be kept in your carry-on bag.
• Let the TSA agent know that you have an ostomy and other medical devices before you go through screening.
• Air travel security will generally let you carry on all medical supplies. You may want to review the Transportation Security Administration’s information at: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures. For specific ostomy information, use the drop-down menu under Disabilities and Medications.

Traveling abroad:

• To avoid problems with customs or luggage inspection, have a note from your doctor stating that you need to carry ostomy supplies and medicine by hand. It might help to have this information translated into the languages of the countries you are visiting.
• Check with your health insurance company to see what coverage you might have when you travel. You can also get a list of English-speaking doctors in the areas you’ll be visiting from the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT) at 716-754-4883 or www.iamat.org. They publish lists of English speaking doctors who were trained in North America or Europe in many countries around the world.
• Traveler’s diarrhea is a common problem for tourists in foreign countries. The most common cause of diarrhea is impure water and/or food. It may also be caused by changes in water, food, or climate. Don’t eat unpeeled fruits and raw vegetables. Be sure drinking water is safe. If the water isn’t safe, don’t use the ice either. Bottled water or boiled water is recommended, even for brushing your teeth.
• Note for people with ileostomies: your body may lose water and minerals quickly when you have diarrhea. For this reason, you may need medicine to stop the fluid and electrolyte loss. Your doctor can give you a prescription to control diarrhea. Get it filled before you leave so that you can take the medicine with you just in case you need it.