Wheezing is not always a sign of asthma, as other respiratory conditions and even non-respiratory conditions like GERD can cause it. Treatment depends on the underlying cause, with anti-inflammatory drugs often used to reduce airway inflammation. Emergency assistance is needed if wheezing is accompanied by difficulty breathing or blue discoloration of fingers or toes.
Wheezing is a sound that the body can make when people breathe out, and it can be accompanied by some difficulty inhaling. It’s common to assume that this whistling or squeaking sound means a person has asthma, but in reality, a number of respiratory conditions can cause wheezing. The underlying cause of the sound is inflammation of the airways.
It is certainly true that the airway inflammation created by asthma could cause wheezing. The typical wheezing of asthma can be present especially when children and adults are left untreated. It is worth noting that, in children, asthma may express itself more as a cough or a combination of coughing and wheezing may be present.
The reason people are advised to think beyond asthma if it dissipates is because of many other causative factors of inflamed airways. For example, this sound can start quite suddenly if people start having a severe allergic reaction. A harbinger of an anaphylactic allergic reaction can be swelling of the mouth, face, tongue and the presence of difficulty breathing, which can be expressed as wheezing. It is very important to notice a person’s appearance whenever this whistling occurs. If a person has difficulty breathing or is extremely pale or has blue discoloration to their fingers or toes, they are not getting adequate oxygen and need emergency assistance.
A number of infections could cause regular wheezes. In very young children, a common one is bronchiolitis. Young children are also prone to RSV or respiratory syncytial virus which can affect breathing and cause wheezing. Since both of these viruses affect a fairly vulnerable population, medical assistance is required for diagnosis and treatment. Another serious disease associated with inflamed airways is cystic fibrosis.
While many things that create wheezing are diseases directly related to the respiratory system, there are some conditions that many people wouldn’t associate with respiratory problems. The most prominent of these is gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. The reflux sends stomach acid into the esophagus and this can impact the lungs and affect breathing, resulting in wheezing. It can occur in children and adults, and if children have persistent wheezing unrelated to asthma or other illnesses, investigation for GERD is recommended.
Treatment of wheezing may depend on causative factors. In most cases, the goal is to reduce airway inflammation with anti-inflammatory drugs. The underlying conditions also need to be addressed. With many of these causes, once wheezing is treated, it won’t come back. Only in disorders such as asthma or cystic fibrosis is some form of wheezing likely to remain, but even then medications can control it, so it is rarely heard.
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