Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms of Wheezing?

A musical or whistling sound and labored breathing, particularly when exhaling; sometimes accompanied by a feeling of tightening in the chest. You can hear wheezing more loudly if you plug your ears and exhale rapidly, or by using a stethoscope held at the neck or over the lungs. On the other hand, stridor is a wheezing sound heard during inhalation, and usually caused by narrowing of the windpipe or vocal cords (in the neck).

Call Your Doctor If:

• Wheezing is accompanied by a fever of 101° F or above. You may have a respiratory infection such as acute bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia.
• Breathing is so difficult that you feel that you are suffocating. This can be a sign of a severe asthma episode or an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis); get emergency medical help immediately (call 911 in the United States).
• You wheeze frequently and cough up greenish or gray phlegm. You may have chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or COPD.
• You begin wheezing suddenly and cough up frothy pink or white phlegm. This may be a sign of heart failure; get emergency medical help immediately.
• You cough up bloody phlegm or you have a sharp, localized chest pain (pleurisy); this could be a sign of pulmonary embolism.