#Smoker lung sounds full#

'Additionally, there's this interesting paradox in which an abrupt disappearance of existing wheezing becomes a reason to visit your doctor since it could be a sign that the partial obstruction has developed into a full obstruction that is blocking airflow completely,' warns Dr. From there, your doctor will work to identify and treat the cause of your wheezing, whether it be asthma, COPD, pneumonia or something else.įor causes of wheezing that are more complex or severe or that progress despite treatment, you may be referred to a pulmonologist, a doctor who specializes in breathing and lung health. He or she will also perform spirometry, a breathing test that can measure pulmonary function and help identify whether an airway obstruction truly exists. Your doctor will ask you when the wheezing occurs and take a listen to your lungs. 'If you're also short-winded, short of breath or unable to do something you were able to do just a few weeks or months prior, it's important to have your breathing checked by your doctor,' says Dr. 'It will likely be gone within days or weeks.'īut when it's new and unexplained, or if it's accompanied by certain symptoms, or if it persists, wheezing becomes more concerning. 'If it's not otherwise affecting you, you don't necessarily need to see anyone about wheezing that accompanies mild temporary illness,' says Dr. For instance, during a respiratory illness, you may hear some wheezing - a sign that your airways are irritated and inflamed - but this is typically temporary. Wheezing when exhaling isn't a reason to see a doctor by itself.

A doctor can listen to your lungs and identify what type of breathing sound you're hearing.' When should you go to the doctor for wheezing? 'For instance, crepitus in the lungs sounds like a popping, crackling or grating sound that is distinct from wheezing and attributed to other causes. 'Wheezing can be confused for other sounds that signal other lung issues,' says Dr. Perhaps best described as a whistling sound, wheezing is just one of the various sounds you might hear while listening closely to your breathing. 'As air passes by the obstruction, it creates a high-pitched tone that sounds almost musical.' 'With wheezing, we're listening for a continuous sound that's most obviously heard during exhalation,' says Dr. Other, much less common causes of wheezing include the lodging of a foreign object in the airway, vocal cord dysfunction, the cardiac asthma that can sometimes accompany heart failure or even a tumor in the airway. 'Asthma is the most common cause of wheezing in younger adults, while COPD is the more common cause in older adults age 50 and beyond,' says Dr. Upper respiratory viral illness, such as a cold, the flu or COVID-19.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Asthma, either allergic or exercise-induced.There are a handful of illnesses and underlying conditions that can contribute to such obstructions.' 'This obstruction could be due to the airway muscles becoming spastic in response to an allergen, the airway lining becoming inflamed and narrowed or even mucus or foreign objects physically blocking airflow.

'Wheezing occurs when there's an obstruction in the airway that is affecting airflow,' says Dr. Rodney Folz, a pulmonologist at Houston Methodist.

'Wheezing isn't always a significant cause for concern, but it can indicate an underlying health issue in some cases - a few of which are very serious - so it's important to know when wheezing needs to be evaluated,' says Dr. If you're wheezing when breathing out, it's a sign that air in your airway isn't flowing as optimally as it usually does, likely because the airway is narrowed or partially blocked. With a bodily process as essential as breathing, it's certainly concerning when you notice a change - even if it's just a slight difference in how it sounds, like a wheeze.

Smoker lung sounds