What should you know about constant wheezing?

Wheezing is a high-pitched sound caused by air moving through narrowed airways, usually during breathing out but sometimes on breathing in. Asthma commonly presents with wheeze, chest tightness, cough, or breathlessness. Acute Bronchitis can irritate the airways after an infection, while COPD may cause persistent airflow limitation. Allergic Rhinitis can accompany airway symptoms, and Bronchiolitis is a cause in young children. Anaphylaxis can cause sudden wheeze with swelling, hives, or faintness and is an emergency.

A clinician may listen to your chest, measure oxygen levels and airflow, and ask about triggers such as smoke, dust, exercise, infection, or a new medicine.

Sit upright, move away from smoke or other known irritants, and use your prescribed reliever inhaler exactly as directed. Do not borrow someone else’s inhaler or delay assessment because the sound is mild. Keep track of breathlessness, cough, chest tightness, triggers, temperature, and how often reliever treatment is needed. A Nebuliser Treatment may be used by a healthcare professional when inhaled medicine needs to be delivered during significant breathing difficulty.

Call emergency services for severe breathlessness, blue or grey lips, inability to speak normally, confusion, collapse, rapidly worsening wheeze, or wheeze with throat or tongue swelling. Seek same-day care for new constant wheezing, chest pain, fever with breathing difficulty, coughing blood, or symptoms that do not improve with prescribed treatment.

Ask what may be narrowing your airways, whether you need lung-function testing, how to use your inhaler correctly, and which symptoms should trigger your emergency plan.