Wheezing is a sound resembling a whistle - especially a high pitched one, each time you breathe. This may occur when your air pathways are either constricted or blocked due to an internal swelling or inflammation. Such breathing difficulties are often linked to lung conditions like bronchitis, asthma, bronchial asthma or other such ailments. Wheezing can also be a sign of infections in your lungs or entry of irritants or allergens into your windpipe. But, are you wheezing on exhale when lying down? It helps to have more details about this.
Wheezing is a rattling sound, often of a shrill or a coarse kind - you tend to hear. These spells occur when your airways are blocked or narrowed down partially. This can show up this due to blockages caused by allergies or spells of bronchial asthma or bronchitis.
In general, wheezing is a distinctive sign of lung conditions like pneumonia asthma and may also occur due to a failure in your cardiac system. These spells are more audible while you are exhaling. Such wheezing sounds are heard only with the help of a stethoscope. But there are also some that can be heard without such equipment. In normal circumstances, wheezing is more audible when you are breathing out. There are also cases wherein you can also hear these shrill sounds while you inhale.
The tone of wheezing-sounds coming out of your nostrils represent where the blockage is. For example, narrowing-down of upper-half of your respiratory system can make these sounds hoarser; however, blockages in lower-part of your breathing system can make it sound like instruments such as, say, clarinet.
Research done on wheezing shows it is quite common among babies; in fact, as high as 27% of babies tend to wheeze before their 1st birthday. This primarily occurs as infants are known to have relatively tinier air passages. Moreover, kids aged under three (3) years are more vulnerable to wheezing. This is because odds of respiratory infections – especially at the upper of the breathing system, caused by viruses – are quite high.
Wheezing on exhale when lying down
Often times, wheezing shows up during your bedtime. It hence becomes essential to know what makes you wheeze when you are lying down - either on your right side or left. The likely reasons why you wheeze while lying down include lung conditions like bronchitis, post nasal drips, infectious conditions like pneumonia,
Of these, bronchitis can either be chronic or an acute spell; however, regardless of the type you are living with – you tend to develop breathing difficulties as bronchioles i.e., finer tubes branching off your windpipe witness an inflammation. This is often caused by a viral strand. It first shows up as cold or flu.
Is asthma an autoimmune disease, No, asthma is not an autoimmune disease. It’s a chronic inflammatory condition where the immune system overreacts to triggers like allergens, smoke, or cold air, causing the airways to narrow and swell. Unlike autoimmune diseases, asthma doesn’t attack the body’s own tissues but responds excessively to external stimuli, making it a hypersensitivity disorder instead.
Post nasal drip is another reason why you wheeze while lying down. This is the more frequent when you are in a sleeping posture, and is experienced less often when you sit up. This occurs when there is an excessive buildup of mucus inside your nasal pathways. Mucus starts dripping inside your throat, and as this happens you make a sound resembling a wheeze. In fact, you can get to hear these sounds without using equipment like a stethoscope.
Croup is a condition that makes you wheeze while you are in a sleeping position. This occurs when there is an internal swelling of your vocal cords. This is usually caused by infections of viruses. Your wheezing-sound resembles barking of sea-mammals like seals. As your lungs start to crackle, the sound gets louder and your airways further become narrow. Croup can affect people of all ages; but mostly kids aged between two (2) to six (6) years are vulnerable.
Emphysema is a condition wherein sacs of air inside your lungs turn weak. This condition leads to formation of holes inside the lungs. With the presence of such holes, your lungs have difficulties in processing oxygen; this occurs as the areas of exposure are grossly reduced. As a result, your body finds lesser amount of oxygen than what is needed.
The sound wheezing makes while you exhale upon lying down is primarily because of mucus or fluids building-up inside your respiratory system; sounds are an outcome of such liquids trying to make their way out. You are advised to see a qualified medical practitioner for a correct diagnosis of your lung condition.
In some cases, you may also witness shortened respiratory cycle / shortness of breath. You may need to look at your daily habits and see if you are living under stressful or anxious situations. Your doctor may look for other possible ailments like sleep apnea, panic-triggered disorders and problems like snoring.
If wheezing persists for more than 5 – 6 days, it is a wise thing to take a consultation with a qualified chest physician. Your caregiving team might also check for other symptoms like an inexplicable loss of weight - ever since you started wheezing, presence of coughing spells, swelling in your nasal pathways, an increase in temperature, etc.
You can pursue a few home-based remedies like steam-based therapy. Steam helps remove obstacles or blockages inside your nasal airways. Steam also helps removal of phlegm and mucus built-up. All you need to do is to take a large-sized bowl and fill it up with hot-water. Add a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil while the water is still hot. Now wrap yourself with a blanket - including your head. This makes sure the steam does not get out of the blanket. Now lean onto this bowl and start inhaling through your nose and mouth for 10 minutes.
You can also take a steam-bath. For this, lock the door of your bathroom and let hot-water run for a while to make the atmosphere resemble a sauna-bath. Now stand in your bathroom for 4 - 6 minutes; repeat this for 2 times every day. You can also drink hot water or lukewarm fluids with juices extracted from citrus fruits like lemon.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.