When you go to a doctor, they put a stethoscope on your chest and back and say, "Take a deep breath in... breathe out slowly..." Have you ever wondered why they do that? Simply put, the doctor is listening to the sounds coming from inside your lungs. These sounds are like the language of your lungs. These sounds can tell you a lot about the health of your respiratory system.
What are these lung sounds?
Lung sounds, or respiratory sounds, are the sounds you hear inside your airways (the thin tubes that carry air inside your lungs) as you breathe in and out.
A person with healthy lungs has clear airways. This means there is no excess mucus, swelling, or any obstruction in them. Then the air moves very smoothly and softly, so it makes a very soft sound. We call these normal lung sounds (vesicular lung sounds).
However, what happens if these airways become filled with mucus, swollen, or blocked by something due to a medical condition? Then the airway becomes blocked. That's when you start hearing all sorts of strange sounds. It can be like a 'whoosh', a 'whoosh', or a 'whoosh'. We call these abnormal/adventitious lung sounds .
The important thing is that a doctor will not conclude that you have a disease just because he hears an unusual sound like this. It is only an important clue that helps in the diagnosis. Along with this, the most accurate diagnosis is reached by considering your other symptoms, your health history, and, if necessary, other tests.
What are the main types of abnormal lung sounds?
There are several types of these unusual sounds that the doctor hears. Each one tells a different story. Let's look at the main types.
| Sound Type | How does that sound? / A simple description |
|---|---|
| Rhonchi | This is a deep, snoring-like 'groaning' sound. To be precise, this sound is made when air passes through the large airways when they are filled with mucus. This sound can be lost for a while when a cough is opened. |
| Wheezing | This is a sound that many people are familiar with. It is a high-pitched, whistling sound. It is often heard when you exhale. This sound occurs when the airways become narrow. This sound is very familiar to people with asthma . |
| Stridor | This is also a high-pitched, whistling sound. However, it is most often heard when breathing in . This sound is heard when there is an obstruction in the throat or upper airway (e.g., swelling, something stuck in it). This sound is commonly heard in young children with croup. |
| Crackles / Rales | This is not a continuous sound. It is an intermittent sound, a 'kiri kiri', a 'chiti chiti' sound. It is like the sound made when you crush some dry leaves with your hands, or when you bubble water through a straw. This is heard when the smallest airways in the lungs are filled with mucus or water. |
| Pleural Rub | This is a rough, grinding sound. It's like two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together. This sound is made when the two membranes that surround our lungs, called the pleura, swell and rub against each other. It can be heard both when we inhale and exhale. |
Why are these unusual sounds coming from the chest?
There are four main things that can cause these unusual sounds:
1. Mucus filling the respiratory tract: This is the most common cause.
2. Swelling of the airways: When the airways swell due to infection or allergies, the airways narrow.
3. Obstruction: A tumor or foreign object in the airway.
4. Pleural effusion: Swelling of the membrane surrounding the lungs.
These are some of the diseases that cause these conditions:
- Respiratory infections, for example bronchitis or croup in young children.
- Pneumonia.
- Asthma.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Allergies.
- Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction.
- Pulmonary edema.
- Heart failure.
- Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot in the lungs.
How is it treated?
The treatment depends entirely on the underlying cause of this unusual sound. The doctor will first diagnose the exact cause and then prescribe treatment.
- For conditions like asthma: Inhalers that open up airways and reduce swelling, for example corticosteroids.
- For a bacterial infection (e.g. pneumonia): Antibiotics.
- For severe allergies: Medications like epinephrine.
- If an obstruction is stuck: You may need to have surgery to remove it.
When should I see a doctor?
This is the most important part. If you have any concerns or concerns about your breathing, especially about the sound coming from your chest, don't ignore it. See your family doctor right away. He or she can examine you and tell you what to do.
Especially remember! If you have symptoms like difficulty breathing, chest pain, or blue lips along with this unusual sound, it is an emergency . In such a case, go to the nearest hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) without any delay.
Take-Home Message
- Healthy lungs produce a soft, smooth sound. Abnormal sounds such as 'whooping', 'whooping', and 'whooping' indicate a problem with the respiratory tract.
- The cause of these sounds could be anything from a cold, asthma, pneumonia, to something more serious.
- The doctor listens to these sounds with a stethoscope to obtain important clues to accurately diagnose the disease.
- If you hear any unusual sounds while breathing, especially if it is accompanied by difficulty breathing, don't ignore it.
- If you hear an unusual noise along with difficulty breathing, it's an emergency! Go to a hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.
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