What is wheezing?

Wheezing is a whistling noise made during breathing. It occurs when the small airways, or bronchial tubes, that lead to your lungs swell or contract (spasm) and become narrow. This narrowing is called bronchoconstriction. When your airways constrict, it is hard for air to pass through and this makes it hard for you to breathe.

Wheezing and bronchoconstriction can be caused by many problems, including:

• An infection such as the flu or a cold.
• Allergies such as hay fever.
• Diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Smoking.

Treatment for your wheezing depends on what is causing the problem. Your wheezing may get better without treatment. But you may need to pay attention to things that cause your wheezing and avoid them. Or you may need medicine to help treat the wheezing and to reduce the swelling or to relieve spasms in your lungs.

• Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicine your doctor prescribes.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Breathe moist air from a humidifier, hot shower, or sink filled with hot water. This may help ease your symptoms and make it easier for you to breathe. Follow the directions for cleaning the humidifier.
• If you have congestion in your nose and throat, drinking plenty of fluids, especially hot fluids, may help relieve your symptoms. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
• If you have mucus in your airways, it may help to breathe deeply and cough.
• Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you. Smoking can make your wheezing worse. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Avoid things that may cause your wheezing. These may include colds, smoke, air pollution, dust, pollen, pets, cockroaches, stress, and cold air.

Wheezing is a whistling noise that occurs when the bronchial tubes, which carry air to the lungs, narrow because of inflammation or mucus buildup. Wheezing is often present in asthma.

During an asthma attack, the bronchial tubes become smaller. At first, the person may wheeze when breathing out. As the attack becomes worse, the person may also wheeze when breathing in. During a severe asthma episode, wheezing may go away because little air is moving through the narrowed bronchial tubes.

Wheezing can be a sign of asthma in children, but it does not always mean that a child has asthma. Children younger than 5 often develop wheezing during a respiratory infection. Children with a family history of allergies seem to be more likely than other children to have one or more episodes of wheezing with colds. Children with certain viral infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus (which causes the common cold), and influenza virus, also are likely to develop wheezing.