Wheezing

Wheezing refers to a sort of high pitched whistling sound produced when your child breathes in and breathes out. This sound is a sign thatregular flow of air through the lungs is obstructed by an inflammation caused in the tiny air passages deep in the lungs, due to asthma or a viral infection. The inflammation may be also in the larger air passage to the lungs and flow of air may be obstructed. Wheezing may be a sign of asthma, but many other things beside asthma can cause wheezing in children.

Causes

• Bronchiolitis - Bronchiolitis is a viral infection in the lower respiratory tract. A virus named Respiratory syncytial virus causes this infection. Due to this infection, the tiny air passages in your child’s lungs get inflamed. The inflammation leads to partial or complete blockage of the air passages, which causes wheezing. Bronchiolitis commonly occurs in children below 2 years. Infants within one year are most likely to be affected because their air passages are liable to be blocked more easily than older kids or adults. The first signs of bronchiolitis are similar to that of a common cold, like a runny nose and a mild cough. Over the next few days, cough becomes severe, the child gets fever, wheezing and finds it difficult to breathe.
• Allergic reactions - When allergic reactions in response to cold, pollen, animal fur, insect bite and certain food become severe, one of the symptoms to show the severity is wheezing, which will be followed by a worsening of breathing difficulty.
• Ingestion of foreign body - If objects like a coin or a fruit seed is ingested by your child and it gets stuck in a breathing tube, it may cause wheezing and breathing difficulty. In this case, wheezing may be on just one side of the chest, unlike what happens in the case of asthma.
• Gastroesophageal reflux - Generally food is carried from the mouth to the stomach through a tube called oesophagus, At the lower end of the oesophagus, there are a ring of muscles which relax to let the food pass down into the stomach, and then contract to prevent regurgitation of food and acid back into the oesophagus. In children, these ring of muscles known as sphincter are immature and due to its improper function, the food contents from the stomach may get back into the oesophagus. This is also known as acid reflux. Persistent wheezing is developed due to this reflux, but it is less common. It occurs particularly in children who have complaints of asthma.
• Vocal cord dysfunction - Normally while breathing in and out, the vocal cords are drawn apart to allow free flow of air into and out of the lungs. But in case of vocal cord dysfunction, the vocal cords, instead of moving apart, move towards each other during the breathing process. The vocal cords, being drawn close together, cause narrowing of the airway and the resulting problem of wheezing. This kind of dysfunction of vocal cords occurs in children as well as in adults. Cystic fibrosis, blood vessel abnormalities and other anatomical abnormalities which involve narrowing of airways, are some other causes that may lead to chronic wheezing.

Treatment

• If the wheezing is mild, natural care like drinking plenty of water, juice, broth and light tea would help provide relief. Ice-cold food or drink should be avoided.
• If the child has asthma complaints, and therefore the wheezing problem, bronchodilators, which help in widening of constricted air passages, may be prescribed by the doctor.
• Antibiotics are used to cure wheezing arising out of severe bronchitis and other respiratory infections.
• If allergens trigger wheezing, antihistamines may be prescribed.
• If wheezing persists for longer time, and cough produces grey or greenish phlegm and the child seems to be suffocating, immediate medical attention is necessary.

Home Remedies

• Taking steam-bath, having water heated to almost boiling point in a large vessel, and place a towel over your head, so that it covers you and the vessel. Lower your head down towards the steam coming out from the boiled water. Inhalation of the steam will help clear the blocked air passages. A vaporizer too produces the same result.
• Fresh lemon juice taken between or before meals, also helps controlling wheezing.