Wheezing is a situation whereby a patient’s airways go into spasms, resulting in the patient feeling short of breath and a high pitched “whistling sound” develops, which seems to come from the lungs. My patient usually complains that they feel tight in the chest and can hear a whistling sound and find it hard to speak in full sentences.
It can be due to a variety of causes, with the most common causes being asthma attacks and infections of the airways or lungs. Mismanaged wheezing attacks can result in serious consequences as there is less oxygen intake into the lungs, resulting in less oxygen in our bloodstream which is essential for our body to function.
In view of the above, I would advise all my patients to see a doctor when they develop wheezing, so that a clear diagnosis and treatment plan can be devised for my patient.
A caveat is when he or she is my regular asthmatic patient with a very clear Asthma Action Plan (AAT). A Asthma Action Plan consists of clear instructions for my patient to react when symptoms of wheezing occur, such that he or she knows how to manage mild cases of wheezing and also knows when to escalate care to a medical doctor or emergency department.
