What is wheezing?
Wheezing is a whistling sound that happens when a person is trying to breathe out, but the airways in the lungs are partly blocked.
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Wheezing is common in asthma, but it can also be caused by allergies and respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis, colds, and flu
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Some children who have wheezing when they are young go on to develop asthma
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Doctors sometimes prescribe medicines to open the airways
When should my child see a doctor?
What causes wheezing in children?
What will happen at my child’s doctor visit?
What tests will my child need?
The first time your child has wheezing, doctors may do one or more tests:
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Do a chest x-ray to look for an object inhaled into the lungs, pneumonia, or heart failure
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Place a sensor on your child’s finger to painlessly measure oxygen in the blood (pulse oximetry)
If doctors are sure your child's wheezing is caused by asthma, they don't usually do tests each time your child has some wheezing.
If the wheezing keeps coming back and isn't helped by asthma medicines, doctors may do other tests:
How do doctors treat wheezing in children?
Doctors may have your child use an inhaler to breathe in medicines that open the breathing passages. These are the same medicines used for asthma, but they also work for wheezing that isn't caused by asthma. If your child’s wheezing is severe, doctors may also give corticosteroids through an IV or by mouth.
