Wheezing, commonly known as wheezing, is characterized by a high-pitched hiss that occurs when a person breathes. This symptom occurs due to narrowing or inflammation of the airways, which can result from a variety of conditions, such as allergies or respiratory tract infections, for example, the most common being asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Treatment of wheezing varies greatly with the original cause, and in most cases it is necessary to resort to anti-inflammatory remedies and bronchodilators.
There are several causes that can cause wheezing and can cause airway inflammation, including:
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In infants, wheezing, also known as wheezing, is usually caused by hypersensitivity and narrowing of the airways, usually caused by colds, viral infections, allergies or reactions to food, and can also occur without a known cause.
Other rarer causes of wheezing in infants include reactions to environmental pollution, such as cigarette smoke, gastroesophageal reflux, narrowing or malformations of the trachea, airways or lungs, vocal cord abnormalities, and the presence of cysts, tumors, or other types of compression in the airways. Although wheezing is rare, they can also be a symptom of heart problems.
Your doctor’s treatment will depend on the cause of your wheezing and aims to reduce airway inflammation so that breathing is done normally.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications to be given orally or inhaled, which will help reduce inflammation, and inhaled bronchodilators, which cause the bronchi to dilate and facilitate breathing.
In people with allergies, your doctor may also recommend the use of an antihistamine, and if it is a respiratory infection, antibiotics may be necessary, which may be combined with other remedies designed to relieve symptoms.
More serious conditions, such as heart failure, lung cancer or anaphylaxis, for example, require more specific and urgent treatment.