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A wheeze is a clinical symptom of a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. [1] For wheezes to occur, part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed (for example narrowing of the lower respiratory tract in an asthmatic attack), or airflow velocity within the respiratory tree must be heightened.
[3] [13] About 5% of adults are affected and about 6% of children have at least one episode a year. [7] [8] It occurs more often in the winter. [7] In infants under one year of age, acute bronchitis was the most common reason for admission to the hospital after an emergency department visit in the US in 2011. [31]
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. [4] Asthma occurs when allergens, pollen, dust, or other particles, are inhaled into the lungs, causing the bronchioles to constrict and produce mucus, which then restricts oxygen flow to the alveoli.
Bronchoconstriction is defined as the narrowing of the airways in the lungs (bronchi and bronchioles). Air flow in air passages can get restricted in three ways: [3] a spasmodic state of the smooth muscles in bronchi and bronchioles; an inflammation in the middle layers of the bronchi and bronchioles; excessive production of mucus.
The overactivity of the bronchioles' muscle is a result of exposure to a stimulus which under normal circumstances would cause little or no response. The resulting constriction and inflammation causes a narrowing of the airways and an increase in mucus production; this reduces the amount of oxygen that is available to the individual causing ...
[3] [6] Determining the cause of chest pain is based on a person's medical history, a physical exam and other medical tests. [3] About 3% of heart attacks, however, are initially missed. [1] Management of chest pain is based on the underlying cause. [1] Initial treatment often includes the medications aspirin and nitroglycerin.
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A PCP will ask questions in regards to symptoms and breathing; they will also ask if fatigue or wheezing has been experienced when breathing in or out; and also test using a peak expiratory flow and an oxygen saturation. Status asthmaticus can be misdiagnosed when wheezing occurs from an acute cause other than asthma. Some of these alternative ...