It’s very easy to downplay catching your breath as a simple joke. Many people blame breathing problems on old age or not being fit enough. While it’s funny most of the time, if you feel short of breath most days, that’s a warning sign for you. You may think there’s no harm in taking a little while longer in catching your breath, but your respiratory system is begging for help. A common reason as to why you feel so short of breath is wheezing.
What is Wheezing ?
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing and can occur while you breathe in or out. It can sometimes be accompanied by a tight feeling in your chest. Wheezing mainly arises due to inflammation and narrowing of airways in your throat or lungs. These are common symptoms in many respiratory illnesses, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), bronchitis, asthma, and many more. Wheezing doesn’t usually require any medical intervention. However, it is important to see a doctor if the wheezing becomes recurring or gives you severe difficulty breathing.
Wheezing at night
Also known as nocturnal asthma, is very unpleasant. For reasons that have yet to be proven, studies have shown that the chances of experiencing asthma symptoms are higher during sleep. Some possible explanations as to why this is includes: increased exposure to allergens, cooling of airways, sleep positioning, hormone secretions, and possible change in bronchial function. The exact reasoning is still yet to be found. With nocturnal asthma, you experience things like chest tightness and shortness of breath while you’re trying to sleep. This leads to wheezing during the night and leaves you feeling unrested. You wake up the next morning feeling irritable and not up to any task. Imagine if you experienced this most nights, you’d feel like a walking zombie.
Wheezing and coughing usually go together hand in hand. With your airways feeling irritated and inflamed, you have the urge to cough more. It’s normal to let a few coughs out, but sometimes the coughing can get so severe that it becomes a wheezing cough. It’s very hard to catch your breath in between coughs and it’s been described as a similar feeling to choking.
In the first stage of your child’s life, parenting can be very scary and intimidating. You are now responsible for the small human being that looks very breakable. Naturally, the instinct is to hover. So, when your infant’s breathing starts changing, you worry. Is this supposed to happen? Should I call a doctor? Wheezing can actually be quite common for a baby. Due to their airways being so small, it’s very easy for a baby to have breathing difficulty. Small grunts or sighs are nothing to be worried about. Nor is slowed breathing when sleeping. The only red flag for baby wheezing is hearing a consistent whistle-like noise. That’s when you know it’s time to take your child to see a doctor. Some possible causes behind your baby wheezing can be allergies, bronchiolitis, or asthma. Hearing your baby being diagnosed is never fun, but all these conditions are very treatable and regulated easily.
How to Stop Wheezing
Alongside taking the medication prescribed by your doctor, you can also take steps to stop your current wheezing and prevent future episodes. The first step is making sure you are hydrated at all times, preferably with warm liquids such as tea or warm lemon water. Since wheezing is a side effect of multiple respiratory conditions, mucus buildup in your airways will be a common problem. Drinking warm liquids can help break up tough mucus and ease congestion. Another immense help is moist air. Think of all those steamy hot showers you take when you’re feeling under the weather or how good you feel when you set up a humidifier in your room. There’s no greater feeling than the feeling of your airways unclogging.
Another home remedy that’s not as commonly known is salt therapy. Salt therapy is the inhalation of microscopic salt particles. This natural and non-invasive remedy cleanses the respiratory system, killing all harmful bacteria. Due to salt having anti-inflammatory traits, it significantly decreases the inflammation in the airways, making it less likely for more wheezing to occur. Salt therapy can also boost your immune system and make the wheezing lessen. With a clean respiratory system and the salt being able to kill off bacteria, your air tracts will be able to stay healthy. Try salt therapy today and say goodbye to wheezing!