Understanding the Basics of Wheezing
Understanding the Basics of Wheezing
Many people with respiratory allergies know that bouts of wheezing often come with the arrival of hay fever season. Mild wheezing may also accompany respiratory infections such as acute bronchitis and may be experienced by patients in heart failure and by some with emphysema (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD). But the characteristic whistling sound of wheezing is a primary symptom of the chronic respiratory disease asthma.
A variety of treatments are available to help alleviate wheezing. You should be regularly monitored by a doctor if you have asthma, severe allergies, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD. Evaluation by a specialist such as an allergist or pulmonologist may also be recommended in some cases.
My WebMD: Coping with Asthma at College
I think my mother was more worried about my going to college two years ago than I was. I have had asthma since I was very young.It was worse when I was younger. I used to have to use an inhaler before I ran the mile in PE class. And one time I had a big role in a play, and I developed pneumonia. My asthma got really bad. I remember using my nebulizer -- a machine that creates a medicated inhalable mist -- backstage before I went on. And I hid cough drops on the backs of set pieces to help me get...
Read the My WebMD: Coping with Asthma at College article > >
The whistling sound that characterizes wheezing occurs when air moves through airways that are narrowed, much like the way a whistle or flute makes music. In asthma, this airway narrowing is due to inflammation and spasm of the muscles in the wall of the airways.
Wheezing is usually the result of one of the following health problems:
Less commonly, wheezing may also be caused by these health problems:
Understanding Wheezing -- the Basics
In this article
What Is Wheezing?
Many people with respiratory allergies know that bouts of wheezing often come with the arrival of hay fever season. Mild wheezing may also accompany respiratory infections such as acute bronchitis and may be experienced by patients in heart failure and by some with emphysema (or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD). But the characteristic whistling sound of wheezing is a primary symptom of the chronic respiratory disease asthma.
A variety of treatments are available to help alleviate wheezing. You should be regularly monitored by a doctor if you have asthma, severe allergies, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD. Evaluation by a specialist such as an allergist or pulmonologist may also be recommended in some cases.
Recommended Related to Asthma
My WebMD: Coping with Asthma at College
I think my mother was more worried about my going to college two years ago than I was. I have had asthma since I was very young.It was worse when I was younger. I used to have to use an inhaler before I ran the mile in PE class. And one time I had a big role in a play, and I developed pneumonia. My asthma got really bad. I remember using my nebulizer -- a machine that creates a medicated inhalable mist -- backstage before I went on. And I hid cough drops on the backs of set pieces to help me get...
Read the My WebMD: Coping with Asthma at College article > >
What Causes Wheezing?
The whistling sound that characterizes wheezing occurs when air moves through airways that are narrowed, much like the way a whistle or flute makes music. In asthma, this airway narrowing is due to inflammation and spasm of the muscles in the wall of the airways.
Wheezing is usually the result of one of the following health problems:
- Asthma
- Allergic reactions to pollen, chemicals, pet dander, dust, foods, or insect stings
- Acute or chronic bronchitis, which can produce excess mucus in the respiratory tract and cause the lungs' passageways to become blocked
Less commonly, wheezing may also be caused by these health problems:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Obstruction from a foreign body which has been inhaled (such as a coin)
- A tumor in the lungs
- Congestive heart failure (usually in older adults)
