Wheezes / Wheezing
Definition: Wheezing is a high-pitched sound, commonly said to resemble a whistle, heard when air flows through partially obstructed airways. Wheezing is often louder during exhalation, however it may be heard during inhalation as well.
Wheezing can be heard in patients with asthma, COPD, emphysema, and other obstructive lung diseases because the airways of these patients have narrowed, creating smaller passages for the air to pass through the respiratory tract.
Wheezing is generally caused by obstruction in the bronchioles because those airways are the smallest and therefore can become obstructed easier. Although rare due to their diameter size, the bronchi can cause wheezing if obstruction is severe.
