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wheezing
(hwēz´ing)
breathing with wheeze; it results from constriction or obstruction of the throat, pharynx, trachea, or bronchi. This is commonly a symptom of asthma; in an asthmatic attack, spasm of the bronchi occurs, and air can be forced only with difficulty into and out of the lungs
through the trachea. Another cause of wheezing is congestive heart failure, in which breathing is difficult, the lips often have a bluish color, and the veins in the neck are distended. When wheezing
is persistent and is not asthmatic, the cause may be an obstruction in the breathing passages, such as a foreign body or tumor.
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