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Wheezing
By Mayo Clinic staffMayo Clinic Health Manager
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Definition
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing, usually during expiration, or breathing out. Wheezing results from narrowed airways. The most common cause of recurrent wheezing is asthma, but there are many other possible causes of wheezing.
Causes
Wheezing indicates difficulty breathing, often caused by constricted or partially blocked airways. It most often arises from the smaller breathing tubes deep in your chest (bronchioles), but may also originate in a larger airway. Wheezing can be caused by inflammation or a physical obstruction, such as a tumor or a foreign object that's been inhaled. Other causes of wheezing include:
- Anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction, such as to an insect bite or medication)
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis, achronic lung condition in which abnormal widening of bronchial tubes inhibits mucus clearing
- Bronchiolitis (especially in young children)
- Bronchitis
- Childhood asthma
- COPD
- Emphysema
- Epiglottitis (swelling of the "lid" of your windpipe)
- Foreign object breathed into your lungs
- GERD
- Heart failure
- Lung cancer
- Medications (particularly aspirin)
- Obstructive sleep apnea (a condition in which breathing stops and starts during sleep)
- Pneumonia
- Respiratory syncytial virus (especially in young children)
- Respiratory tract infection (especially in children younger than 2)
- Smoking
- Vocal cord dysfunction — a condition that affects vocal cord movement
When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor if your or your child's wheezing is happening for the first time; if it's a recurrent, unexplained problem; or if it's accompanied by:
- Difficulty breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Altered mental state
- Allergic reaction to an insect bite or medication
Seek emergency care if your or your child's wheezing is severe or if you or your child:
- Can't catch your breath
- Have hives and swelling in your face or throat
Self-care measures
To ease your wheezing, try these tips:
- Breathe moisturized air. Sit in the bathroom with the door closed while running a hot, steamy shower or use a vaporizer. Moist, warm air may help relieve wheezing in some instances.
- Take all prescribed medications as directed, especially respiratory inhalers.
- Irwin R. Diagnosis of wheezing other than asthma in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
- Weiss L. The diagnosis of wheezing in children. American Family Physician. 2008;77(8):1109. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
- Fakhoury K. Wheezing illnesses other than asthma in children. http://www.uptodate.com/ home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 27, 2008.
- Wheezing. Symptoms and diagnosis of lung disorders. The Merck Manual Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual Home Edition for Patients and Caregivers. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec04/ch039/ch039b.html. Accessed Sept. 12, 2008.
- Wheezing. The Merck Manual Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec05/ch045/ch045h.html. Accessed Sept. 12, 2008.
- Wheezing. MerckSource. http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_adam.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcnszSzcontentzSzadamzSzencyzSzarticlezSz003070zPzhtm. Accessed Sept. 12, 2008.
