Sometimes you may find small painful lumps or raised areas around the edge of your stoma which are called granulomas. They are quite common and can bleed and cause discomfort at times. 
What causes granulomas?
The exact cause of granulomas is often unknown but sometimes they can be due to skin irritation caused by:
- Sutures from your surgery
- Repeated irritation or damage caused by removal of your stoma bag or accessories
- Consistent leakage causing skin damage
- Tight clothing around your stoma bag, causing friction
- The incorrect bag template size, which could cause irritation if the baseplate is too tight around the stoma edge
What do I do if I have granulomas?
You must speak to your stoma care nurse regarding any type of skin irritation, who will be able to advise you on additional treatments if necessary. You may also wish to consider some of the following suggestions to help you manage granulomas:
- Prevent friction and pressure by wearing looser clothing that doesn’t place as much pressure on your stoma bag which will also help prevent friction occurring.
- Ensure your stoma bag is cut correctly and to the right size and it is not too tight around your stoma. Do you use our home delivery service? Contact us to find out more about our cutting service available to all our customers.
- Try using a seal to help prevent leaks occurring and causing further irritation. This can also allow you to cut your baseplate slightly wider, with the seal protecting the skin directly around your stoma and as such helping limit friction.
- Try a barrier paste around the edge of your stoma as another layer of protection.
There’s an eakin® seal for every ostomate. Check out our recommended solutions below to find out more and to sample today:
Eakin freeseal® – your seal for convex stoma bags
If you are using a convex drainable stoma bag yet still finding moisture is being trapped under your bag, then try an eakin® freeseal. These seals are super thin which mean they can mould around your stoma yet not impact the convexity of your stoma bag. A thin layer of extra protection.
Eakin Cohesive slims – Your leak preventer
eakin Cohesive® slims provide everyday skin protection and security from unexpected leaks. Ideal for use as part of a regular stoma routine to give you extra confidence.