A person’s breathing is often accompanied by metabolic processes between his environment and the body itself. The resulting air passes through the larynx, as well as the trachea. Only then does he get into the lungs. Therefore, in the process of inhalation and exhalation, the muscles of the lung are involved.
However, sometimes against the background of certain injuries or possible pathologies, a person’s breathing may be accompanied by the appearance of whistling in the lungs. From the outside, this seems rather funny, but in fact it may indicate rather serious diseases and pathologies. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to such manifestations. You should also consider this topic in more detail.
Classification of wheezing
If a person has difficulty breathing, extraneous sounds appear, then it is quite possible that at the moment he is sick with a seasonal viral disease or his temperature has risen. There are wheezes dry as well as wet. In the first case, we are talking about the fact that the body suffered from hypothermia, due to which the airways were slightly narrowed. At the same time, dry wheezing and whistling in the lungs are often heard during breathing. This happens quite often when the season changes and the weather changes.
If wheezing is wet, then in this case it is most likely to say that moisture or sputum has accumulated in the lungs. Often there is a narrowing of the bronchi, due to the fact that a liquid forms in them, which gradually accumulates on the walls of the respiratory organs.
As soon as the air combines with the liquid that is inside the body, it begins to disintegrate into microscopic air bubbles, which gradually burst and provoke the appearance of a characteristic whistle.
The stronger the sound is heard when breathing in a person, the larger these air accumulations, respectively, the more moisture is inside the bronchi. As a rule, such a whistle in the lungs is most often heard on the exhale. This can be associated with a wide variety of diseases, for example, bronchial asthma, bronchitis or inflammatory diseases that occur in the upper respiratory tract.
It must be understood that most of these pathologies are very dangerous, since they can subsequently cause pathological changes. In this case, the structure of the respiratory system can even be deformed, which leads to additional unpleasant symptoms.
Often wheezing and whistling in the lungs can be accompanied by additional symptoms. For example, a patient's face may turn blue. Some people experience shortness of breath and intermittent breathing. In all these situations, you must immediately call an ambulance and consult a specialist who can accurately determine the causes of whistling. Consider the most common pathologies that cause similar symptoms.
Bronchial asthma
This cause of whistling in the lungs is most common. In this case, we are talking about a disease of the respiratory system. It should not be ignored. There is a narrowing of the airways, which makes it harder for a person to draw in air, and asthma appears. If you start a similar situation, then everything can end badly. Therefore, the patient should be correctly diagnosed with the disease and appropriate medications prescribed. They should always be at hand in case of exacerbation.
If the symptoms only increase, then even hospitalization may be required.
Anaphylactic shock
This cause of whistling in the lungs during breathing is also quite common. In fact, such symptoms are a manifestation of a severe allergic reaction to a particular product or component. As soon as an allergen enters the human body, severe swelling of the respiratory tract occurs. Because of this, air cannot fully pass, a whistle sounds.
Often, such symptoms appear with anaphylactic shock after a bite of a poisonous insect or if a person suffers from a severe allergic reaction to food or drink. Also, often whistling in the lungs of an adult or child can appear against the background of Quincke's edema. It is not much different from severe poisoning. In this case, the mucous membrane of the mouth, as well as the larynx, is affected. A strong swelling in the throat may appear.
If a person does not have the necessary medicines at hand, then you need to immediately call an ambulance and give an injection.
Foreign body hits
A similar problem is most often encountered by young children. Sometimes for the sake of interest, they taste and small details from toys. If a small element is stuck in the larynx, then it may well provoke a blockage in the trachea. Hearing a whistle in the lungs of a child, you must immediately call a doctor who will help to remove a foreign body from the body. Without immediate action, the child may die. If he began to suffocate, then you need to try to independently extract a foreign object.
Lung damage
If a person has a whistle in the lungs when inhaling and exhaling, then it is quite possible that he damaged internal organs. This can happen due to the patient accidentally inhaling caustic gas or injuring his chest during an accident. It often happens that specialists perform improper surgical intervention, which leads to similar unpleasant situations.
Regardless of the causes of whistling in the lungs, you must consult a doctor immediately.
Infection
Doctors often attribute this type of pathology to the causes of whistling. If we are talking about a bacterial or viral infection, then it may well limit the access of air, which must pass through the bronchi. This happens against the background of puffiness. There are many types of bronchitis in which there is a similar symptomatology. For example, shortness of breath may appear amid an acute or chronic illness. However, it is worth considering that infectious diseases are usually accompanied by fever, sore throat and general malaise.
Tracheitis
If a person has inflammation of the trachea, then in this case there is a lesion of the lower part of the respiratory tract. As a rule, such an ailment does not develop as an independent disease. Additionally, tracheitis is accompanied by bronchitis, pharyngitis and even laryngitis. If we are talking about acute or chronic processes, in this case the trachea will narrow, which leads to a characteristic whistling in the lungs and cough. Exacerbation occurs at the time of inhalation and exhalation.
Bad habits
Very often, heavy smokers face similar problems. As a rule, in this case they suffer from a strong cough in the evening or immediately after waking up. Most often, a similar problem is observed in those who have been smoking cigarettes for quite some time. The appearance of whistling in the lungs is explained by the fact that mucous secretions appear in the larynx, which gradually begin to clog the airways.
As a rule, the problem disappears after the smoker coughs. However, this does not mean that such symptoms should be ignored, and continue to lead not the most healthy lifestyle. Therefore, with the appearance of such signs, doctors strongly recommend giving up bad habits as soon as possible. Otherwise, there is a risk in the future to face more serious diseases.
Chemical pneumonitis
If very aggressive chemical components get into the lungs of a person, this is guaranteed to provoke a burn of the mucous membrane. This can lead to swelling, wet cough, severe wheezing, laryngitis, rhinitis and shortness of breath. If this happens, then you should take immediate action.
First of all, the doctor needs to tell with what exactly the aggressive component the victim was in contact with. Thanks to these data, he will be able to understand how to proceed.
Whooping cough
If we are talking about a child who suffers from whistling while breathing, then very often the problem lies precisely in this disease. In this case, there are several stages of development of this ailment, each of which differs in its symptoms. The first stage of the development of the disease, as a rule, takes an average of 10 days. During this period, it is very difficult to diagnose the disease.
In the second stage, the so-called convulsive cough begins to develop. In this case, the child complains of a burning sensation in the chest. During a cough, his face becomes a purple hue. Often, vomiting whistles and other disturbing symptoms appear. If you reach the third stage, then in this case the attacks will be very protracted. Inhalation will gradually become very difficult. A distinct whistle will be heard. In this case, such attacks can be up to 18 per day. If no measures are taken, then gradually mucus will start to stand out from the lungs, which becomes thicker every day.
Features of treatment and diagnosis
Of course, wheezing causes a lot of inconvenience, causes concern, especially when it comes to children. Based on the foregoing, it becomes obvious that it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis of the disease, due to which alarming symptoms appeared. In such situations, you need to quickly contact a pulmonologist who will conduct the necessary diagnostic measures and will be able to prescribe treatment.
Depending on the specific pathology, a specialist may prescribe antibiotics, expectorant drugs, antihistamines, bronchodilators, etc.
If a child suffers from this problem, then, as a rule, the doctor first of all tries to use non-drug therapy. For this, various inhalations are used, which are used to clear the airways to relieve inflammation. In particularly difficult situations, artificial oxygen may be required.
Finally
You need to understand that self-medication in case of wheezing and whistling in the lungs is not worth it. The upper respiratory tract is susceptible to numerous pathologies that quickly pass into the chronic stage. If the patient begins the wrong treatment, then it can take precious time. Therefore, it is better to immediately undergo an examination, and after that make a decision, use traditional medicine or pharmacy medicines prescribed by a specialist. If we are talking about a child, then it is important to give medications to him according to the dosage indicated on the package or prescribed by a doctor.