Know When To Call Your Doctor As A Tracheostomy Patient
Even when you do your best to cover all of the tracheostomy care basics, there may come a time when something is wrong and you need to get in touch with your doctor. Knowing what circumstances or situations require you to call for additional medical assistance is important in order to ensure that you will remain safe. Below are some of those circumstances.
Your Breathing Is Becoming More Forced
Even with a tracheostomy in place, you should not normally have a lot of trouble breathing. Therefore, if your breathing becomes labored, you need to make note of it and take action.
You might simply need to try to clear any buildup of secretions that can get in the way. If after doing that, you still notice that you are having labored breathing, you will need to get immediate medical assistance. If your doctor cannot see you right away, it would be best for you to go to the emergency room at your local hospital.
The Site of the Tracheostomy Is Painful
Noticing some pain and irritation is normal for the first several days after receiving the tracheostomy. However, if you have gone beyond the standard healing point, and you are suddenly experiencing new and additional pain, you will need to make an appointment to see your doctor. There could be an irritant that is getting in the way, or you could have developed an infection from a sore or cut around the tracheostomy site. It is crucial that you are getting medical help right away, as infections can be extremely dangerous.
The Secretions Are Thick or Becoming Crusty
Cleaning out secretions is something that is normal after having a tracheostomy. However, you want to make sure that you are always taking the time to look at the condition of the secretions that you are cleaning out.
If it is extra thick or discolored, or you are noticing that there are a lot of crusty secretions coating the tracheostomy, then you need to see your doctor. This could be a sign of an illness or an infection. You need to make sure that the doctor has a chance to figure out the problem so it will not get worse.
Make sure that you are speaking with your doctor about anything else you should be on the lookout for. This way, you will know when it is time to call for an appointment.
