The biggest issue for urostomates is urinary tract infections
The most important thing to consider when you have a urostomy is the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). You can avoid these by continuously flushing your urinary tract through, by:
- Drinking around 2-3 litres of fluids per day (that’s around 10–11 large glasses, or 13 mugs of liquid)
- Eating foods that are high in Vitamin C – this makes urine acidic and helps prevent infections
- Drinking at least two glasses of cranberry juice a day (unless contraindicated)
Why is cranberry juice so useful for urostomates?
Cranberry juice can help avoid UTIs and reduce the amount of mucus that your urostomy produces. If you don’t like cranberry juice, you can get cranberry tablets from chemists and health food stores. (NB: don't drink cranberry or grapefruit juice if you are taking warfarin).
Drinking cranberry juice can help reduce the formation of urine crystals in your urostomy – if they do form, a cloth dampened with white vinegar dissolves them
There are no particular food restrictions with a urostomy
Having a urostomy means that you don't have any particular food restrictions, so you can enjoy a normal diet. Some things worth bearing in mind, though, include:
- Fish, onions, garlic and asparagus can make your urine smelly
- After eating beetroot, your urine (and sometimes your poo) will often be pink
