Show Medically reviewed by Adithya Cattamanchi, M.D., Pulmonology — Written by Anna Smith on January 25, 2022 Lung or breath sounds are the noises a person makes as they breathe in and out. These sounds include regular breathing, but wheezing or crackling can also occur. A doctor may listen to an individual’s lungs to check for underlying health problems. Share on PinterestFG Trade/Getty Images An individual’s respiratory system comprises many parts, including:
When a person breathes, these parts work together to provide the body with oxygen. During breathing, an individual’s lungs can make a variety of sounds. And while certain lung sounds are typical and indicate that the lungs are working correctly, other lung sounds can indicate an underlying health condition. This article will explore the different lung sounds and what may be causing them. It also discusses potential treatment options and when to speak with a doctor. When a doctor listens to a person’s lungs, they note the frequency, intensity, and quality of the sounds they hear. These factors can help them determine whether the sounds from the lungs are regular or not. Breath sounds can differ depending on where they occur in the respiratory system. Healthcare professionals classify them in the following ways:
Wheezing is a high pitched, continuous sound. A doctor may be able to hear a person wheezing with or without a stethoscope. Health experts classify wheezes into three groups:
Wheezing can result from blockages or when a person’s airways become constricted. Causes of wheezing can include: Crackles, also known as rales, are intermittent sounds generally audible during inhalation. They can sound similar to bubbling, popping, or clicking noises. Experts define a crackle as:
Crackles occur as a result of small airways suddenly snapping open. They may indicate that a person’s lungs have fluid inside them or are not inflating correctly. Causes of crackling include: Rhonchi are low pitched, continuous sounds that sound similar to snoring. They occur due to blockages in the large airways of the lungs. Rhonchi can occur during exhalation or exhalation and inhalation, but not inhalation alone. They happen due to the movement of fluid and other secretions in the large airways. This can result from conditions such as asthma and viral infections in the upper respiratory system. Stridor is a high pitched sound that develops in the upper airway. It mainly occurs when a person inhales and can mostly be audible in the neck. They develop due to an obstruction in the upper respiratory tract. The sound comes from air squeezing past a narrowed area of the upper respiratory tract. Causes of stridor include:
Pleural rub is a creaking, grating, rubbing sound that occurs due to inflamed pleural surfaces rubbing against each other. The pleurae are membranes that cover a person’s lungs and aid respiration. An individual’s pleurae can become inflamed due to certain health conditions that cause pain or tenderness. Causes of pleural rub include:
When a doctor wants to listen to a person’s lungs, they will generally use a stethoscope, which they place on various parts of a person’s chest and back to check for different lung sounds. They may also tap an individual’s back to listen for nodules or fluid buildup. This technique involves placing the stethoscope below a person’s rib cage and tapping down their back. This helps the healthcare professional listen for any changes in pitch when tapping. They may also use other listening tools, such as computerized lung sound analysis devices, for diagnosis. Doctors can also request blood tests, CT scans, or X-rays during diagnosis. The treatment for atypical lung sounds will depend on the cause and severity of their symptoms. An individual with irregular lung sounds may require antibiotics if there is an infection. Doctors may also recommend anti-inflammatories to treat conditions involving inflammation. A person with a long-term lung condition may require regular medications or treatments. If there are more serious symptoms, treatment in the hospital and possibly surgery may be necessary. Anyone who experiences unusual or atypical lung sounds should speak with a doctor. Certain lung sounds can indicate serious health conditions. While lung sounds are usually typical, some may indicate a person has an underlying health condition. If an individual notices any unusual lung sounds, they should speak with a doctor. There are various methods that healthcare professionals can use to determine why irregular lung sounds occur. Seek urgent medical attention if a person has difficulty breathing or stops breathing. Last medically reviewed on January 25, 2022 Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Medically reviewed by Raj Dasgupta, MD — Written by Zia Sherrell, MPH on July 28, 2021 The sounds a person makes while breathing can be a good indicator of their lung health. Doctors classify these sounds according to their intensity and pitch and whether they occur when breathing in or out. Bronchial breath sounds are loud, harsh breath sounds with a midrange pitch. They can be normal or abnormal, depending on where the sound emanates from and when it occurs in the breathing cycle. This article describes what bronchial sounds are and the features that classify them as normal or abnormal. We also list different types of abnormal breathing sounds along with their associated causes and treatments. Share on Pinterestknape/Getty Images Bronchial sounds, or “tubular sounds,” are the type of sounds that a person may make while breathing. Bronchial sounds are loud and harsh with a midrange pitch and intensity. A doctor will use a stethoscope to listen for sounds. They typically emanate from the following areas:
The two main types of breath sounds are bronchial and vesicular. Doctors define these categories based on the sound’s intensity and pitch, as well as the relative duration of its inspiratory and expiratory phases. It is normal for a doctor to hear bronchial sounds over the trachea as a person breathes out. However, bronchial sounds emanating from other areas could signal an underlying issue with the lungs. Normal lung tissue, called pulmonary tissue, contains air, which muffles sounds. However, it is possible for the pulmonary tissue to fill with fluid, and fluid conducts sounds more efficiently than air. As such, hearing bronchial sounds within the lungs themselves could signal fluid in the lungs. Abnormal breathing sounds include:
There are three types of bronchial breath sounds: Tubular soundsTubular breath sounds are a type of high pitched bronchial breath sound. The following conditions can produce tubular breath sounds:
Cavernous soundsCavernous breath sounds are low pitched bronchial breath sounds. Doctors may hear cavernous breath sounds in a person who has one of the following conditions:
Amphoric soundsAmphoric respiration is a type of abnormal bronchial breathing that creates a strong reverberating sound with high pitched overtones. It indicates damage to the air sacs within the lungs, which are called the alveoli. Various health conditions can cause abnormal lung sounds. These conditions include those below. PneumoniaPneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs that causes the alveoli to fill with pus or fluid. The condition can occur as a result of a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. The symptoms of pneumonia include:
TreatmentThe treatment for pneumonia depends on whether the condition is due to a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. A doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial pneumonia, whereas fungal pneumonia will require treatment with antifungal medication. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections. Therefore, a doctor may prescribe antiviral medications to treat cases of viral pneumonia. Heart failureHeart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to all areas of the body. Some possible warning signs of heart failure include:
TreatmentSome treatment options for heart failure include:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)COPD is an umbrella term for lung diseases that can restrict airflow in and out of the lungs, causing breathing difficulties. The symptoms of COPD include:
TreatmentSome treatment options for COPD include:
In addition, a person can help reduce their symptoms by quitting smoking, if applicable, and avoiding secondhand tobacco smoke and other air pollutants. BronchitisBronchitis is the medical term for inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which carry oxygenated air into the alveoli of the lungs. Bronchitis can be either chronic or acute. Chronic bronchitis is one of the diseases that sits under the umbrella of COPD. The symptoms of bronchitis include:
Bronchitis is usually due to a viral infection, but it can also develop as a result of a bacterial infection. TreatmentThe treatment options for bronchitis include:
A person who experiences concerning breath sounds may wish to ask their doctor the following questions:
Bronchial breath sounds are loud, harsh breathing sounds with a midrange pitch. Doctors usually associate them sounds with exhalation, as their expiratory length is longer than their inspiratory length. Bronchial breath sounds are normal as long as they occur over the trachea while the person is breathing out. Sounds that emanate from another location may indicate a problem with the lungs. There are three types of abnormal bronchial breath sounds: tubular, cavernous, and amphoric. Other abnormal breath sounds include rales, rhonchi, stridor, and wheezing. These can sometimes indicate an underlying respiratory issue that requires attention. Anyone who is concerned about abnormal breath sounds should see their doctor for a diagnosis and any necessary treatment. Last medically reviewed on July 28, 2021
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. |