What is wheezing: A wheeze is the sound made when air flows through narrowed airways. It may be heard when you inhale (and then it is called an inspiratory whistle) or when you exhale—then it is referred to as an expiratory whistle. It can also be mixed and be heard in both phases of breathing.wheezing, breathing out, ie Whistling breaths can vary in severity, ranging from being heard only when auscultated with medical headphones to loud whistling sounds that are heard “with the naked ear”.
Inspiratorywheezing (the so-calledstridor) occurs when the upper airways are narrowed at the level of the pharynx, larynx or upper trachea.
Expiratorywheezingoccurs when the lower parts of the airways are narrowed, such as the lower part of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles.
Wheezing is the most common symptom in young children.The younger the child, the greater the predisposition to narrowing the lumen of the bronchi due to their anatomical structure. The airways of a small child are short and narrow, the skeleton of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi is thinner, more flaccid, and collapses easily; the rich blood supply and a large number of mucous glands favor the production of a large amount of secretions. In addition, the reduced ability tocougheffectively and the immaturity of the immune system contribute to narrowing of the airways and the formation of wheezing.
In this article, Niketrainers.com.co will tell you:
What are the most common causes of wheezing?
Wheezing is not a symptom of a single disease,but can occur in many diseases.Wheezes may be associated with:
- infections– this is by far the most common cause of wheezing in children, most infections leading to wheezing are caused by viruses, and viral laryngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis or bronchiolitis is the most common; however, bacterial infections are less significant,
- asthma– this is the most common cause of recurring wheezing
- foreign body aspiration (food, toys)– the whistle appears suddenly,
- malformations,such as congenital laxity of the larynx, trachea or bronchi, cleft palate, esophageal-tracheal fistula, external pressure (e.g. abnormal vessel, heart defects); in these cases, wheezing is usually present from birth and is relatively constant in intensity.
- allergic reactions(after food, drugs, wasp or bee bites) – in such conditions there is a sudden narrowing of the airways, which leads to a rapid worsening of wheezing,
- benign and neoplastic growths in the lumen of the respiratory tract,which are the cause of gradually increasing wheezing,
- immunity disorders,which predispose to recurring infections, during which wheezing may occur,
other rarer but sometimes severe diseases, such as cystic fibrosis,bronchiectasis, primary ciliarydyskinesia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dysphagia,interstitial lungdiseases, respiratory tract burns, neuromuscular disorders, vocal cord disorders. In these diseases, wheezing is not the main symptom, but accompanies other, sometimes severe, symptoms of the underlying disease.
What to do if you feel wheezy?
If the cause of the sudden onset of wheezing in your child is unknown, see your doctor. When the wheezing is accompanied bybreathlessnessand the disturbing condition of the child, or when the wheezing occurs after foreign body aspiration, insect bite or food ingestion, medical intervention is urgent and an ambulance should be called.
A child who is wheezing in the course of a doctor diagnosed with mild viral infection and who has no other disturbing symptoms (includingdyspnoea) can be treated at home. It should be provided with optimal environmental conditions, incl. supply of relatively cool, moist air, ensure proper hydration, in the event offever, administer antipyretic drugs, and use other medications prescribed by a doctor.
The worsening of wheezing in the course of a chronic disease, such asasthma, requires medical consultation and usually modification of the current treatment.
What will the doctor do if my baby is wheezing?
In emergencies, the most important thing is to open the airways. In an exacerbationof asthma, bronchodilators are administered immediately, in allergic reactionsadrenaline, and in the case of foreign body aspiration into the respiratory tract, urgentbronchoscopyis performed to remove it.
In the event of wheezing, which does not require urgent intervention, diagnostics are scheduled as scheduled. The doctor begins by collecting the history of the child’s symptoms so far, it is important to determine the duration of wheezing, its severity, and factors causing and alleviating wheezing. The next stage is a medical examination, where auscultation of the lungs is important. After the initial diagnosis is made, the doctor may order additional tests to confirm it. The range of diagnostic tests is wide and includes blood tests (including blood counts,gasometry, possibly biochemical tests), imaging tests (e.g.chest X-raysorcomputed tomography) and functional tests, including spirometry.