Child wheezing at night

What causes wheeze in children?

At least 2 in 5 children have at least one episode of wheezing before they are 6 years old. When my patients think of wheeze in their children, they almost always assume it's due to asthma.

In fact, there are many other causes of wheezing - and sometimes, as we'll see later, what sounds like wheeze in a young child may not be wheezing at all.

Wheezing is a sound that comes from air being breathed out (or less often in) through narrowed airways.

Because children's airways are smaller than adults, they become narrowed enough to cause wheezing more easily. In asthma, the airways themselves are narrowed because the muscle lining the airways contracts.

Toddler wheezing but acting fine

However, mucus or other secretions partially blocking the airway can also cause wheezing. So too can inflammation of the lining of the airways. Less commonly, an object you've inhaled can get stuck in the airways.

Viral infections

The most common reason for wheezing in children is infection with viruses such as the ones that cause the common cold.

This is called 'viral wheeze&#

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