Is stridor an inspiratory wheeze?

Less musical sounding than a wheeze, stridor is a high-pitched, turbulent sound that can happen when a child inhales or exhales. Stridor usually indicates an obstruction or narrowing in the upper airway, outside of the chest cavity.

What causes inspiratory stridor in adults?

Stridor in adults is commonly caused by vocal cord paralysis; an unusual narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords called subglottic stenosis; inhaling a piece of food; or a foreign object stuck in the airway.

What does an inspiratory wheeze indicate?

Inspiratory wheezing often accompanies expiratory wheezing when heard over the lungs, specifically in acute asthma. However, if inspiratory wheezing or stridor is heard over the neck, that could be an indication of a serious upper airway obstruction.

What is stridor in adult?

Stridor, or noisy breathing, is caused by a narrowed or partially blocked airway, the passage that connects the mouth to the lungs. This results in wheezing or whistling sounds that may be high-pitched and audible when a person inhales, exhales, or both.

Is stridor common in adults?

Stridor is common in younger children with smaller airways. In children, acute stridor often accompanies upper respiratory tract infection. In children, chronic stridor usually occurs with congenital conditions. Stridor in adults is much less common.

Is stridor heard on inspiration or expiration?

Stridor is an abnormal, high-pitched respiratory sound that can be assessed during breathing. It is typically produced by the irregular flow of air in the airways and most prominently heard during inspiration.

What is inspiratory stridor?

Inspiratory stridor occurs when your child breathes in and it indicates a collapse of tissue above the vocal cords. Expiratory stridor occurs when your child breathes out and it indicates a problem further down the windpipe.

What is adult stridor?

Stridor is a high-pitched sound you make when you breathe through a narrow or partly blocked airway. Air can’t flow through your lungs smoothly, so it’s harder to breathe. Stridor is usually loudest when you breathe in.

What does wheezing sound like in adults?

Wheezing is simply a whistling sound made when breathing. It is typically heard when a person exhales (breathes out) and sounds like a high-pitched whistle. Sometimes it is heard when inhaling — or breathing in — as well. It is not simply loud breathing or the sound of congestion or mucus when you breathe.

What is a stridor in adults?

Is wheezing heard on inspiration or expiration?

Wheezes are heard more commonly during expiration because the airways normally narrow during this phase of respiration. Wheezing during expiration alone is generally indicative of milder obstruction than if present during both inspiration and expiration, which suggests more severe airway narrowing.

How do you treat stridor in adults?

Treatment should include:

1. Oxygen (humidified if possible)
2. Dexamethasone oral (unless swallowing problems then IV) 8mg twice daily (morning and lunchtime) if no contraindications and add in gastroprotection if appropriate (e.g. omeprazole oral 20mg once daily or lansoprazole 30mg once daily if no contraindications).