Wheezing comes from the bronchial tubes in contrast to whooping
sounds that come from the trachea and larynx.
The whistling sound (wheezing) occurs when a patients attempt to
exhale through bronchial passages that are constricted or excreting excess
mucus due to irritation, infection or allergy.
Wheezing from the chronic respiratory disease; asthma is due to
a combination of bronchial muscle constriction and inflammation of the
bronchial mucous membrane.
Patients with respiratory infections such as emphysema, or acute
bronchitis usually always have wheezing.
Primary symptom of asthma patients is wheezing. Patients with
allergies experience wheezing, almost always associate with the arrival
of hay fever season.
Symptoms:
*A high pitch whistling sound and labored breathing, especially when
exhaling; but may experience it during inhalation.
*May feel of some tightening in the chest.
*Shortness of breath (in some cases, most children will experience
wheezing before shortness of breath)
In some people, wheezing is the result of asthma and or an allergic
reactions to chemical, pollen, dust, insect stings, food, etc. People with
acute bronchitis also produce excess mucus in the respiratory tract, which
can cause the lungs passageways to become tight and blocked.
Wheezing may also be caused by conditions such as cystic fibrosis,
tumor, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism or an obstruction from
a foreign body, TB and people who smoke may experience wheezing.
There may be other reasons for experiencing wheezing.
Treatment:
Call your doctor if:
*wheezing occurs with fever
*Wheezing is associated with significant shortness of breath, bluish skin color and if there is a change in mental status.
*Wheezing is cause by an allergic reaction.
*Wheezing is recurrent and unexplained.
It is important to see your doctor to determine the cause of your
wheezing. Your doctor will determine the course of treatment.
Your doctor may want to do a pulmonary function test to evaluate
the volume of air moving through your bronchial passages. If your wheezing
appears to be related to chronic bronchitis or emphysema, your doctor may
want to take X-rays.
If your doctor believe it is allergy related, there are a variety
of test he/she may use to determine the exact nature of your allergy; skin
and blood test.