Chest Pain, Breathing, High Fever, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Normal Flu Symptoms
• Flu Treatments
• Who’s at Risk?
• What Are Some Serious Complications?
• When to Call the Doctor
• Reye’s Syndrome
• What to Do in a Flu Emergency
• More

You may think of the flu as pretty harmless. Most of the time, it is. People typically recover after about a week or two without any lasting problems. But sometimes this illness can lead to serious complications that require emergency care.

Every year more than 200,000 people in the U.S. wind up in the hospital because of the flu. Tens of thousands die. Infants, the elderly, and people with certain diseases or weakened immune systems are the most at risk. But a flu emergency can happen to anyone. So it’s important to know the signs of trouble.

Different strains of the influenza virus cause the flu. You get it when you inhale the germ or pick it up on your hands and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Symptoms usually show up 1 to 4 days later.

The flu can be hard to tell from a cold. But it usually comes on faster and is more severe. The so-called “stomach flu” isn’t the same as influenza. The flu very rarely causes tummy trouble in adults.

Normal flu symptoms include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Tiredness (can be extreme)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches

Although flu vaccines can prevent certain strains, there’s not much you can do after you get sick. If you take them within 48 hours after symptoms start, drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza) may ease some symptoms. You can also:

• Take over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to relieve body aches, headache, and fever.
• Take over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants to help with congestion.
• Drink lots of fluids.
• Get plenty of rest.

Antibiotics don’t treat the flu. They only work against bacteria, and the flu is caused by a virus. You might need antibiotics if you get a secondary infection in your ear, sinuses, or lungs (like pneumonia or bronchitis).

Usually, you don’t need to see the doctor if you get the flu. Your body will fight off the virus on its own if you get enough rest. But sometimes you — or a family member — may have serious problems as a result of the flu. Those more likely to get them include:

• Newborns and children up to age 5 (especially kids under age 2)
• People over age 65
• Pregnant women
• People who live in long-term care facilities
• Caregivers
• People with chronic diseases like asthma, neuromuscular disease, heart problems, or lung disease
• People with a weakened immune system, either from a disease or its treatment

• Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. If untreated, it can be life-threatening.
• Muscle inflammation (myositis)
• Central nervous system diseases
• Heart problems like heart attacks, inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), and inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis)
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions like congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes

If you or your child get any of the following symptoms, get medical care at once. You may have a serious complication that requires treatment.

• Coughing up blood
• Croup, which causes a loud barking cough
• Wheezing
• Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or rapid breathing
• Pain or pressure in the chest
• Confusion
• Bluish-colored lips or nails
• High fever
• Convulsions from fever (this usually affects children)
• Fever or cough that becomes severe or won’t go away

This serious illness occurs most often in children. It may follow infection with the flu or other viral diseases like chickenpox. It often happens after the child takes aspirin. Reye’s syndrome affects the liver and brain. It’s rare, but it can be life-threatening.

Symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion and delirium
• Listlessness
• Personality changes such as aggressiveness
• Convulsions
• Unconsciousness

Because of its link to Reye’s syndrome, never give aspirin to children or teenagers unless your doctor says it’s OK.

If you or a family member has any signs or symptoms of a flu emergency, call 911 right away or go to the emergency room. Don’t wait.

Top Picks

Chest Pain, Breathing, High Fever, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Normal Flu Symptoms
• Flu Treatments
• Who’s at Risk?
• What Are Some Serious Complications?
• When to Call the Doctor
• Reye’s Syndrome
• What to Do in a Flu Emergency
• More

You may think of the flu as pretty harmless. Most of the time, it is. People typically recover after about a week or two without any lasting problems. But sometimes this illness can lead to serious complications that require emergency care.

Every year more than 200,000 people in the U.S. wind up in the hospital because of the flu. Tens of thousands die. Infants, the elderly, and people with certain diseases or weakened immune systems are the most at risk. But a flu emergency can happen to anyone. So it’s important to know the signs of trouble.

Different strains of the influenza virus cause the flu. You get it when you inhale the germ or pick it up on your hands and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Symptoms usually show up 1 to 4 days later.

The flu can be hard to tell from a cold. But it usually comes on faster and is more severe. The so-called “stomach flu” isn’t the same as influenza. The flu very rarely causes tummy trouble in adults.

Normal flu symptoms include:

• High fever
• Headache
• Tiredness (can be extreme)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches

Although flu vaccines can prevent certain strains, there’s not much you can do after you get sick. If you take them within 48 hours after symptoms start, drugs like oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza) may ease some symptoms. You can also:

• Take over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to relieve body aches, headache, and fever.
• Take over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants to help with congestion.
• Drink lots of fluids.
• Get plenty of rest.

Antibiotics don’t treat the flu. They only work against bacteria, and the flu is caused by a virus. You might need antibiotics if you get a secondary infection in your ear, sinuses, or lungs (like pneumonia or bronchitis).

Usually, you don’t need to see the doctor if you get the flu. Your body will fight off the virus on its own if you get enough rest. But sometimes you — or a family member — may have serious problems as a result of the flu. Those more likely to get them include:

• Newborns and children up to age 5 (especially kids under age 2)
• People over age 65
• Pregnant women
• People who live in long-term care facilities
• Caregivers
• People with chronic diseases like asthma, neuromuscular disease, heart problems, or lung disease
• People with a weakened immune system, either from a disease or its treatment

• Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. If untreated, it can be life-threatening.
• Muscle inflammation (myositis)
• Central nervous system diseases
• Heart problems like heart attacks, inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), and inflammation of the sac around the heart (pericarditis)
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions like congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes

If you or your child get any of the following symptoms, get medical care at once. You may have a serious complication that requires treatment.

• Coughing up blood
• Croup, which causes a loud barking cough
• Wheezing
• Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or rapid breathing
• Pain or pressure in the chest
• Confusion
• Bluish-colored lips or nails
• High fever
• Convulsions from fever (this usually affects children)
• Fever or cough that becomes severe or won’t go away

This serious illness occurs most often in children. It may follow infection with the flu or other viral diseases like chickenpox. It often happens after the child takes aspirin. Reye’s syndrome affects the liver and brain. It’s rare, but it can be life-threatening.

Symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion and delirium
• Listlessness
• Personality changes such as aggressiveness
• Convulsions
• Unconsciousness

Because of its link to Reye’s syndrome, never give aspirin to children or teenagers unless your doctor says it’s OK.

If you or a family member has any signs or symptoms of a flu emergency, call 911 right away or go to the emergency room. Don’t wait.

Top Picks

Wheezing in the chest – the causes of occurrence, in what diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment

Allergy

Colds

Bronchitis

Pneumonia

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Bronchial asthma

Cystic fibrosis

Bronchiectasis

Tuberculosis

Sarcoidosis

Leukemia

Lymphoma

69563

04 February

Wheezing in the chest: causes, diagnosis and treatment.

Definition

The process of respiration is conditionally divided into three stages: external respiration, transport of gases with blood to organs and tissues, and tissue respiration. The respiratory system is involved in the first stage and its main function is the delivery of inhaled air to the lungs, where gas exchange takes place.

The respiratory system consists of the airways and the lungs. The respiratory tract includes the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Often, rales heard in the chest originate in the overlying airways and are carried with air flow to the lungs, simulating their defeat.

Thus, wheezing in the chest does not always indicate damage to the lung tissue. Moreover, the appearance of wheezing can be triggered by dysfunction of other organs, such as the heart.

To detect wheezing, a chest examination is performed using a stethophonendoscope. This manipulation is called auscultation of the lungs.

Types of rales in the chest

The classification of wheezing in the chest is quite extensive. By the nature of wheezing, the doctor may suspect which pathological process prevails in the patient’s respiratory system.

Depending on whether wheezing is associated with the accumulation of sputum and other fluids in the airways or only with a change in the structure of their walls, they are, respectively, divided into wet and dry. Wet rales can be voiced and deaf, finely bubbling and large bubbling. The latter characteristics are largely determined by the caliber of the bronchi, in which the pathological process is localized. Dry rales are also divided by timbre – bass, whistling, etc.

Wheezing rales are typical for bronchial asthma . In the early stages of the disease, they are heard only during an attack. In the later stages, especially without appropriate medical therapy, wheezing may be present even in the interictal period. Depending on the severity of the attack, wheezing can be detected either by auscultation of the lungs, or even at a distance. Whistling sounds appear during exhalation, which becomes difficult and lengthened.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the so-called crepitating wheezing, or crepitations resembling a crunch. As a rule, they occur at the end of inhalation and are caused by the alveoli sticking. The adhesion of the walls of the alveoli occurs due to their impregnation with exudate, transudate or blood. Crepitus is heard in lobar pneumonia in stages I and III (the walls of the alveoli are saturated with exudate), with a lung infarction (the walls of the alveoli are saturated with blood), with congestion in the lungs (the alveoli are saturated with transudate).

The above-mentioned wire rales are also distinguished, the source of which is damage to the upper respiratory tract.

Depending on the location, wheezing can be diffuse or localized, unilateral or bilateral.

Possible causes of wheezing in the chest

The immediate cause of wheezing is a change in the flow of inhaled air passing through the respiratory tract.

Normally, the inner surface of the respiratory tract, lined with a mucous membrane, is smooth, covered with a thin layer of mucus, which performs mainly a protective function. There are cartilaginous structures in the wall of the airways, they play the role of a kind of framework, protecting the airways from collapsing.

Wheezing is more often caused by changes in the walls of the airways due to infectious inflammation, allergic edema, etc., congenital features of the cartilaginous framework that make it not rigid enough to maintain a constant airway patency, the presence of a foreign body, liquid (sputum, blood, etc.) etc.), compression of the respiratory tract from the outside by the lymph nodes and some other reasons.

Diseases that cause wheezing in the chest

Diseases of the respiratory system that lead to the development of wheezing include bronchitis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis .

For acute bronchitis, pneumonia and other diseases associated with the accumulation of sputum in the respiratory tract, the appearance of moist rales is characteristic. For bronchial asthma, especially during an attack, dry wheezing is typical.

Various lesions of the larynx and its congenital features (for example, soft cartilage of the larynx in newborns is the basis for the development of stridor breathing in newborns, it is clearly audible even without a stethophonendoscope, and auscultation of the lungs reveals loud wire rales ).

Other causes of wheezing include diseases of the cardiovascular system associated with impaired myocardial contractility and leading to stagnation of blood in the vessels of the lungs. This causes an increase in pressure in the vessels, and the liquid part of the blood (plasma) sweats into the lumen of the respiratory tract and alveoli. In this case, crepitus and dry, soon turning into wet, rales appear, the severity of which is determined by the degree of developed heart failure.

Diseases that cause compression of the respiratory tract from the outside include those that affect the lymph nodes located inside the chest: tuberculosis, especially tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes , which develops mainly in children, sarcoidosis, leukemia and lymphomas , as well as metastatic lesions of the lymph nodes in certain oncological diseases .

Malignant neoplasms may primarily affect the bronchial wall or lung tissue, resulting in impaired airflow and wheezing.

Which doctors to contact if wheezing occurs in the chest

Since wheezing is caused by diseases of various body systems, in order to distinguish between pathologies, it is necessary first of all to consult a general practitioner, for example, a general practitioner or pediatrician. After a clinical and laboratory-instrumental examination, the patient can be referred for a consultation with a pulmonologist (a doctor specializing in diseases of the bronchopulmonary system), a cardiologist, a phthisiatrician (a doctor who treats tuberculosis), a hematologist, an oncologist.

Diagnostics and examinations in case of wheezing in the chest

Diagnosis of diseases manifested by wheezing begins with a clinical examination, but almost always requires laboratory and instrumental confirmation.

• A clinical blood test is needed to diagnose inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system.

Clinical blood test: general analysis, leukogram, ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear in the presence of pathological changes)

Synonyms: Complete blood count, KLA. Full blood count, FBC, Complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell count (CBC with diff), Hemogram.
Brief description of the study CBC: general a…

Up to 1 business day

Available with home visit

RUB 810

Add to cart

Plain chest x-ray

X-ray examination of the structure of the lungs to diagnose various pathologies.

RUB 2,440

Sign up

CT scan of the chest and mediastinum

Examination that provides data on the state of the chest and mediastinum.

RUB 5,490

Sign up

Myoglobin

Synonyms: Myoglobin blood test; Serum myoglobin; Mg.

Serum Myoglobin; Myoglobin-serum; Mb; MB.

Brief description of the analyte Myoglobin

Molecule…

Up to 2 business days

Available with home visit

RUB 935

Add to cart

Troponin-I, high sensitivity (Troponin-I, high sensitivity, hs-TnI)

Synonyms: Tn I hs; cardiac Tn I HF; stn I HF. Tn Ihs; cardiac-specific troponin I, high sensitivity; cTn I hs.
Brief characteristics of the analyte (Troponin)
Troponins – small b…

Up to 1 business day

Available with house call

1 010 RUB

Add to cart

ECG in 5 minutes

Examination of the functionality of the heart – fast, painless and informative.

RUB 1,790

Sign up

Echocardiography

Examination to assess functional and organic changes in the heart, its contractility, as well as the condition of the valvular apparatus.

RUB 4,190

Sign up

What to do if wheezing occurs in the chest

For patients with newly discovered wheezing, the doctor will recommend temporarily limiting both physical activity, which increases the body’s need for oxygen, and avoiding severe emotional stress.

Until the allergic nature of the respiratory tract is excluded, the doctor will advise you to follow a hypoallergenic diet and a hypoallergenic regime, which means limiting the patient’s contact with potential allergens (house dust, animals, pollen, etc.).

It is worth saying that acutely appeared and growing wheezing, which is heard even when approaching the patient, is always regarded as a sign of a disease that poses a threat to human life and health.

This is especially true in cases where wheezing is accompanied by a change in the general condition of the patient, shortness of breath (a subjective feeling of lack of air), cyanosis of the skin and visible mucous membranes, which indicates severe respiratory failure. Acute pains of a very different nature, localized behind the sternum, may be a sign of such a formidable condition as myocardial infarction. These conditions require emergency medical care.

Prior to the arrival of the ambulance, it is necessary to unfasten tight clothing, loosen the belt, provide access to fresh air and place the person in a supine position with a raised head or in a semi-sitting position.

As a rule, in these positions, the severity of cardiac and respiratory failure is somewhat reduced.

Treatment of wheezing in the chest

Treatment of wheezing in the chest is to treat the underlying disease.

Infectious diseases, depending on their nature, may require antimicrobial therapy. To remove sputum from the lungs, drugs are widely used that thin it, as well as enhance the excretion of mucus from the respiratory tract. In the case of an allergic disease, including bronchial asthma, drugs are used that expand the lumen of the bronchi and reduce the severity of inflammation.

Heart failure requires medications to reduce the workload on the heart and keep it working. In the treatment of malignant neoplasms, complex schemes are used, which may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical methods of treatment.

Sources:

1. Clinical guidelines “Bronchial asthma”. Developed by: Russian Respiratory Society, Russian Association of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists, Russian Union of Pediatricians. -2021.
2. Clinical guidelines “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”. Developed by: Russian Respiratory Society. – 2021.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

why children and adults cough and wheeze when breathing, treatment options

Published: 22 February

Updated: 08 February

Reading time: 7 minutes

The appearance of a cough with wheezing indicates that mucus has accumulated in the respiratory organs and the larynx has narrowed. The causes of wheezing can be diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular system and other pathologies that can be dangerous. If such a cough occurs, you need to consult a doctor in order to diagnose in time and prescribe competent treatment.

Causes of wheezing cough

Wheezing may occur on inhalation and exhalation when the airway is narrowed due to the formation of mucus clots or other mechanical obstructions. Cough, accompanied by wheezing, noisy breathing, is wet or dry. It may be accompanied by fever, a feeling of general malaise.

Depending on the disease, its complexity and course, wheezing occurs during or after coughing. By their nature, they are small-bubble, large-bubble, bass, whistling. The nature of wheezing and coughing, revealed after examination and auscultation of the lungs, helps the doctor determine the diagnosis of the disease.

The most common diseases that cause coughing and wheezing when breathing:

• bronchitis;
• tracheitis;
• pharyngitis;
• laryngitis;
• allergy;
• asthma;
• lobar pneumonia.

Cough with wheezing may occur if the disease is advanced, if the treatment of the previous viral infection was not correct. Other reasons include the anatomical features of the structure of the cartilaginous framework and trachea, the ingress of a foreign body into the throat, squeezing the airways by the lymph nodes, smoking, occupational diseases due to work in hazardous industries. Wheezing can occur as a result of oncology, diseases of the cardiovascular system, when blood stagnates in the vessels of the lungs.

Cough with wheezing in a child

The appearance of wheezing in a child’s throat should cause to urgently call or visit a pediatrician . Children under adolescence and infants have smaller airways than adults, so mucus clots can lead to risks of suffocation.

Many infectious diseases are characterized by coughing attacks at night, when the child wakes up in a sweat, complains of sore throat, shortness of breath. Before the arrival of the doctor, you need to give him a warm drink, position him lying down or half-sitting.

Cough with wheezing in an adult

When breathing is difficult and wheezing occurs during coughing, this may be a sign of a serious illness, not necessarily related to the pathology of the respiratory tract. It is recommended to consult a general practitioner first. The doctor will conduct an examination and refer you to a specialist: pulmonologist, cardiologist, hematologist, oncologist. It is imperative to seek medical help if a cough with wheezing is accompanied by:

• shortness of breath;
• blue skin;
• acute pain behind the sternum;
• profuse expectoration;
• unusual consistency of sputum – for example, it is too thick, watery, contains blood, pus;
• an increase or decrease in temperature that lasts for a long time;
• increased sweating;
• weight loss without dietary changes.

If there is a severe attack of coughing with wheezing, you need to call an ambulance, unfasten clothing and a belt that makes breathing difficult. The patient must take a lying or half-sitting position, raise his head.

Treatment of cough with wheezing

The earlier treatment is started, the less the risk of complications. The doctor listens to the chest, examines and, based on the test results, prescribes specific drugs and therapy measures:

• antibiotics — if a bacterial nature of the disease is detected;
• antihistamines for allergies or SARS;
• bronchodilators – for cough due to bronchial constriction;
• antipyretics – at body temperature above 38.5 degrees;
• mucolytics – with intensive secretion of viscous sputum in order to thin it.

The doctor will advise you to limit physical activity, eliminate bad habits and stress. A special hypoallergenic diet may be prescribed. If the cause of wheezing is diseases of the cardiovascular system, tumors, then appropriate drugs and methods are prescribed: chemotherapy, radiation therapy.

The treatment includes gargling with saline solution, decoctions of medicinal herbs. Rinsing soothes irritated mucous membranes, relieves inflammation, and helps prevent the discharge of mucus from entering back into the nasopharynx. Inhalations and heating can be carried out only after consulting a doctor: they are contraindicated in certain diseases – tuberculosis, lung abscess. As additional procedures, electrophoresis, laser heating are prescribed.

To alleviate the condition of the sick person, it is necessary to help the removal of sputum, reduce inflammation and swelling. One of the drugs of combined action is Rengalin. It is combined with other cough medicines. The three-component composition of the drug has an antitussive, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator effect. The drug can be used by adults and children from three years of age.

Rengalin is formulated as an oral solution and lozenges that do not require water, so they can be taken anywhere to treat coughs.