What is a cough without fever?
A cough with wheezing in an adult or child, as well as noises, is usually a symptom of pneumonia. In cases where colds are not accompanied by fever and cough, other symptoms always occur. These include:
· weight loss;
· general weakness;
· appearance of shortness of breath.
It is the indirect signs that you should pay attention to.
What kind of wheezing can it be? Depending on the type of manifestation, wheezing when breathing is divided into the following types:
1. Dry. Occurs at an early stage of disease development. Such a cough always indicates the development of severe inflammation in the bronchi, which results in swelling of the mucous membrane. Breathing is always heavy and accompanied by whistling and wheezing. In the lungs, wheezing sounds are also observed in bronchial asthma. The only difference is that the cause of this condition is not inflammation, but a spasm of the organ against the background of a negative reaction. Allergens may be present in the environment or in the human body, such as certain foods.
2. Whistling. It is observed in patients suffering from chronic bronchitis; most often, wheezing does not appear during breathing, but whistling and noise are observed. They are evidence that inflammation is developing in the small bronchioles. As a result of the fact that the pathological process spreads slowly, the symptoms of the disease do not appear for a long time. That is why cough and fever are absent at the early stage of the disease. This period can last more than 1 week, depending on the activity of the immune system. The spread of inflammation is indicated by increased whistling.
3. Wet. Indicates the presence of sputum and mucus in the lungs. It occurs against the background of the fact that oxygen passes through a liquid formation during inhalation or exhalation, and the bubbles of the lung burst when exposed to pressure. Often, moist wheezing indicates the early stages of pulmonary edema or bronchial asthma.
Each type of noise that occurs when breathing in an adult or child is characteristic of certain diseases of the respiratory system. During examination and listening to the lungs, this factor allows the specialist to establish a preliminary diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
What does wheezing mean?
Doctors say that wheezing, which may also be accompanied by wheezing, is a serious and frightening symptom. This type of breathing can be a sign of various diseases - from allergies to chemical damage to the lungs and other respiratory diseases. Most often, whistling occurs during exhalation and indicates that the lumen of the airways has narrowed. There can be many, many reasons for this. For example, bronchospasm, edema, obstruction due to tumor, etc.
Doctors have compiled a list of reasons why wheezing often begins. It includes: - An anaphylactic reaction is a type of allergic reaction that is considered severe. Wheezing in this case is accompanied by sneezing, itching, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, etc. Urgent medical attention is required due to narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi; — foreign body: entry of a foreign body into the respiratory organs leads to their partial or complete blockage. At the same time, a dry cough, hoarseness, tachycardia, and bluishness of the face may appear. Emergency medical attention required; - aspiration pneumonitis, which is otherwise called Mendelssohn's syndrome: wheezing appears along with shortness of breath, rapid breathing, blueness of the face and lips, fever, cough with sputum. May occur as a result of vomit entering the lungs; - bronchial asthma: whistling appears during an attack. Accompanied by a cough. There are severe breathing difficulties. The situation can be saved by giving the patient special bronchoconstrictor drugs; - lung damage: for example, a whistling sound may occur when a rupture occurs. Such an injury leads to bleeding, swelling, and in some cases, contusion. Immediate medical attention is required; - bronchial adenoma - a disease that, together with wheezing, is characterized by hemoptysis; — chronic bronchitis is one of the most common pathologies. The patient may experience wheezing, coughing, fatigue; - lung cancer: when the tumor has grown so large that it begins to block the bronchi, a whistling sound appears when breathing. Cancer is accompanied by weight loss, increased fatigue, shortness of breath and other characteristic symptoms.
The appearance of whistles is usually a consequence of the restriction of the bronchial lumen. To alleviate the patient’s condition, naturally, in cases where emergency assistance is not required, the following methods can be used.
Humidifying the air allows you to soften the mucus that clogs the bronchi, relieve spasms, and also helps to normalize breathing. In order to make the air humid, it is enough to use special humidifiers or you can sit in the bathroom with the hot water tap open.
You must take medications prescribed by your doctor. They help normalize breathing. This is especially important for asthma inhalers. And you should not refuse treatment under the pretext that addiction will occur. The risk is much greater than the mythical harm of addiction.
Naturally, you definitely need to undergo an examination by a doctor who will determine the cause of the whistling and prescribe adequate treatment.
How to Simply Recommend
Why the medicine does not work The key to successful treatment is, of course, following all the doctor’s recommendations and informing him of all significant changes during therapy. However, a specialist can talk as much as he wants about the regimen and duration of taking the drug, but most patients will still violate these rules. Read more
Diagnosis of wheezing in the lungs
Whistling and wheezing in the lungs during breathing in children and adults manifests itself in various diseases. To establish a diagnosis, the doctor listens to the chest to determine the presence of accompanying sounds. This is what allows him to identify the cause.
In addition, special attention is paid to other signs, for example, the presence of a cough, which can occur with fever, the general condition of the patient, and the occurrence of shortness of breath. A very important indicator is also the absence or presence of temperature, since some diseases are not accompanied by this symptom. To confirm the preliminary diagnosis, the following diagnostic measures are prescribed:
1. X-ray of the lungs. Allows you to determine the presence of inflammation and the location of the focus of the pathological process.
2. Laboratory blood tests. It is prescribed to determine the infection that caused wheezing.
3. Fluorography. It is carried out to exclude tuberculosis when a cough without fever occurs.
Based on the data obtained, the doctor determines the cause, degree of development of the inflammatory process, type of disease and stage. This allows you to prescribe a course of treatment to avoid serious complications.
Features of the manifestation of wheezing in diseases
Wheezing and difficulty bronchial breathing are a sure sign of pathology in the bronchi and lungs. Each disease of the respiratory system is characterized by different types and manifestations of bronchial noise.
Bronchitis
In the first few days of acute bronchitis, the wheezing is dry. The patient has difficulty clearing his throat; sounds during breathing resemble a whistle. Then they become wet.
During the development of obstructive bronchitis, the sound when breathing resembles wheezing, whistling noises.
Chronic bronchitis, in addition to the appearance of other symptoms, is characterized by the presence of moist, frequent wheezing, which is clearly audible upon auscultation.
Pneumonia
When the patient coughs and changes his position, the noises during inhalation and exhalation do not disappear - a sure sign of pneumonia. You can accurately diagnose pneumonia by listening to several areas of the lungs. Wheezing only above some of them confirms the diagnosis.
Pulmonary edema
When there is swelling of the main organ of the respiratory system, the doctor listens for moist rales. They are localized in the lower part of both lungs. If the sensation of pain changes when a person changes position, they most likely have pulmonary edema.
Asthma
Bronchial asthma is accompanied by dry wheezing. At the same time, it is difficult for the patient to breathe. The condition can worsen every minute, so it is important to consult a doctor in time.
Pharyngitis
The disease is characterized by hoarseness of voice or complete loss of voice. If the vocal cords are damaged, dry wheezing may be heard.
Malignant neoplasms
Often, when malignant tumors appear in the lungs, the patient complains of dry and moist noises when breathing. This pathology is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: cough, hoarseness, pain in the chest.
Treatment of wheezing in the lungs
Your doctor will tell you how to treat wheezing after an examination. If the cause is an allergic reaction, the source should be determined. Patients are advised to follow a special diet, which includes only healthy foods, such as cereals or lean meats. It is necessary to remove coffee, tea, chocolate, citrus fruits, and berries from the menu. In addition, alcoholic drinks are excluded. The doctor prescribes drugs such as Spazmalgon or Drotaverine.
Wheezing in the lungs when breathing, which was caused by pathology of the cardiovascular system, does not require special treatment. Therapy is aimed at compensating for the negative effects of heart failure. Patients are also prescribed mucolytic drugs to remove mucus from the lungs and bronchi. After completing a course of treatment for the underlying disease, the wheezing that occurs when coughing in the sternum area disappears.
If wheezing in the lungs is not accompanied by fever or cough, its occurrence is often associated with the development of oncology. The patient is indicated for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. In severe cases of the disease, when the tumor almost completely blocks the lumen of the bronchi, it is necessary to remove part of the lung.
Causes of wheezing
In any case, this disease is not typical for pulmonary pathology, since most respiratory diseases cause a rise in temperature and the urge to dry or wet cough in an adult. Wheezing can form in the bronchi even due to the presence of a small amount of blood in them. This phenomenon is often observed in patients prone to internal bleeding, when the concentration of platelets in the blood is reduced and its clotting function is impaired.
If the air passes unhindered, and the characteristic whistle from the lungs is heard only when exhaling, then such wheezing is called wet. Dry wheezing is often combined with a cough, but without fever.
The whistle coming from the patient's throat is a physiological process occurring in the lungs, which is a spasm of the bronchial lumen. The degree of its contraction determines how noisy the wheezing will be. Bronchospasm can occur from the reaction of the respiratory organ to an internal or external irritant, or due to periodic excess mucus.
In modern pulmonology, the following causes of wheezing in the lungs in adults without cough and fever are identified:
- Not typical pneumonia or chronic bronchitis. Often these diseases do not necessarily occur with fever. They may not be noticeable for a long period of time if the inflammatory focus affects a small area of the lung or bronchi.
- Bronchial asthma. On average, in 90% of cases of wheezing during inhalation and exhalation during breathing, this is an allergic spasm of the bronchial lumens. This reaction of the body can be considered a severe degree of allergy. Bronchial wheezing always intensifies at the onset of an attack. Depending on the severity of the disease, sputum in the bronchi may accumulate in small quantities or be absent altogether. Treatment of this respiratory pathology is always specific and is based on the patient’s susceptibility to certain potential allergens.
- Stagnation of blood in the lungs. If an adult has a disease such as heart failure, blood circulation in the vascular system in most cases is severely impaired. Congestion in the lungs often develops. Then the blood pressure in this organ rises and the smallest vessels, the capillaries, cannot withstand the overload. They burst and a small amount of blood enters the bronchi. This foreign biological fluid in this part of the body irritates the respiratory system and provokes wheezing.
- Oncological pathology. Until the 2nd stage of tumor development, the patient does not experience a cough and the disease signals itself only by periodic bronchospasms. In this regard, a characteristic whistle is heard from the lungs. This symptom does not last long, so adults sometimes ignore the signs of a serious illness. The disease is diagnosed using an X-ray or MRI of the lungs.
Depending on the individual characteristics of a person, there may be other reasons that can affect the respiratory system and the stable process of gas exchange occurring in the lungs. All these factors are established during the examination of the patient to make a final diagnosis.
Prevention measures
In order to avoid the appearance of wheezing in the lungs, which manifests itself without fever with cough, you should avoid hypothermia and being in a draft. To increase the body's defenses, it is recommended to exercise and regularly take vitamin complexes. In addition, you should avoid developing colds and consult a doctor at the first symptoms.
After recovery, it is not recommended to take the child to kindergarten or school for a week, especially during epidemics. You should also follow a gentle regimen.
Wheezing of various types may indicate the development of various diseases. Only a doctor can determine what caused them to appear. That is why, if symptoms occur, you should contact a specialist. He will conduct an examination, determine the extent of the disease, and prescribe treatment. Lack of treatment in some cases can lead to the development of pneumonia or pneumonia.
Classification
The following types of wheezing in adults and children are distinguished:
- wet or dry;
- fine, medium and large bubbles;
- voiced or voiceless;
- caused by physiological changes or mechanical damage;
- inspiratory (during inhalation) and expiratory (during exhalation).
Each pathological process is characterized by certain types of pulmonary rales.
Classification of wheezing
