Wheezing can be frightening when you don’t know why it’s happening. Wheezing is characterized by the whistle-like noise that comes from the lungs or chest during breathing. Although wheezing generally occurs on the exhale, in some cases inhalation will cause the abnormal sound instead.
The overall reason wheezing occurs is a restriction of the airways; the tubes involved in breathing become inflamed or in some way obstructed. While the bronchial tubes are the most common problem, other areas may be affected, such as the vocal cords. There are several things that can cause these restrictions—here is a look at common causes of wheezing.
Respiratory Diseases
Experts agree that the most likely culprit of wheezing is asthma. Since asthma itself is a disease in which the airways constrict and become swollen, making it difficult to breathe, this makes sense. If you’ve been suffering from wheezing on and off for a long time and have other breathing difficulties, it might be a good idea to ask your doctor about it. Some cases of asthma may be a lifelong battle, while others flare up only in childhood or adulthood.
Allergies are another respiratory condition that can cause wheezing. Certain allergens in the air you breath may be irritating your body as the result of an overreaction from your immune system, causing swelling in the airways.
Long-Term Diseases
Smokers or those around smoke may experience wheezing, not only from the actual act of smoking, but because of serious complications such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung problems.
Extremely serious long-term diseases that may cause wheezing include heart failure, lung cancer, and tumors that grow in the throat and block airways. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disease in which acid reflux is so severe as to cause damage to the esophagus, may also cause wheezing. It can lead to sores in the esophagus, or other damage and soreness in the throat which makes the throat painful and potentially inflamed.
Sleep apnea, a disorder where breathing ceases and starts up again during sleep, may also cause wheezing.
Respiratory Infections
There are a variety of respiratory infections that may cause wheezing, particularly if they continue for a long time or become very severe. With bronchitis, the bronchial tubes themselves become inflamed, often as a result of another respiratory infection.
Bronchiolitis, on the other hand, is an infection of the lungs—specifically the bronchioles, which are tiny airways in the lungs. When they are inflamed and filled with fluids, pneumonia has set in. Pneumonia can be extremely dangerous and warrants immediate medical attention. The piece of cartilage that acts as a lid for the windpipe can also become swollen, causing wheezing. It, too, should be taken seriously.
Emergency Situations
If someone has an extreme allergic reaction to a substance, anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock) can occur. It can set in quickly and cause the airways to swell up or tighten, making breathing difficult and causing wheezing. It is also possible to swallow a foreign object that is small enough to make it part of the way down the throat but large enough to get stuck, causing an obstruction that makes it difficult to breath and causes wheezing. Situations like this should be treated as a medical emergency and dealt with immediately.
