Having a Tracheostomy

• take care not to get water in your stoma.
• You may continue to bath or shower. A plastic protector is available to ensure that water does not enter the tracheostomy.
• do not go swimming or take part in water sports. Take care when walking near rivers, canals etc.
• take care not to spray aerosols such as polish, perfume etc. too near your neck as this may make you cough.
• smoky atmospheres may also be irritating to you until your body adapts.
• take care when decorating as paint fumes can also irritate your stoma.
• when on holiday take care to cover your neck if sunbathing as a sunburnt stoma may be painful. Also take care not to get sand in your stoma.
• ensure you have adequate supplies of equipment when you go away.

This will need to be discussed with your surgeon. If there are problems with returning to work, a referral may be made to the social worker for you, regarding benefits etc. You may also wish to talk to your employer about changing your way of working.

You may find that you are more susceptible to chest infections at first. If you feel that your tracheal secretions are becoming infected (they may be green in colour) or you feel unwell, please contact your GP.

There may be various reasons why you had to have a tracheostomy performed. It may be short term, long term or even permanent and can evoke all sorts of mixed emotions. Each of us are individual, cope in different ways and need different lengths of time to get used to any changes we face. Support and help is available from all the Head and Neck Unit staff, also there is a confidential counselling service that can be contacted through the ward on East Five 0121-627-2248 or North Five Out-Patient department.

The District Nurses will help get supplies of other equipment, such as tracheostomy tubes and suction tubing for example.