Q-10 Tracheal breathing and cold
Those undergoing laryngectomy must thereafter breathe through the tracheostoma. Those facing their first winter may be worried about easily catching cold and how to deal with it.
A-10 Cover the tracheostoma with gauze protector, and you will not suffer from cold in one to three years.
Several years ago, I conducted a questionnaire among members on whether or not they tended to catch cold after their operations, together with some other questions. The statistical majority answered that they become more immune to cold than before the operation. Most of these respondents had undergone surgery one to three years previously. One extreme case stated that he was very hale and hearty for some unknown reason even though other members of his family came down with influenza.
The reasons for this deserve some consideration:
The nose or the mucous membrane of the throat in healthy people serves as the entry point for cold or influenza viruses and other microorganisms. Those undergoing laryngectomy, however, are thought to be less frequently infected with viruses or microorganisms precisely because the nose and throat no longer serve as a breathing route after surgery.
