Kids - Causes of Wheezing

Asthma

• Asthma is defined as recurrent episodes of wheezing.
• Most children who develop this have a family history of asthma, hay fever and/or eczema.
• Situations that may aggravate asthma include: pollens (note seasonal occurrences), dusty environments, smoke from tobacco or fires, animal danders, feathers, flowers, paint, perfumes, aerosol sprays, live Christmas tress, or dust from turning on a furnace.
• Also colds due to viruses and secondary bacterial infections such as an ear infection, pneumonia, sinusitis, and strep throat may cause a child to wheeze.
• Some children will develop exercise-induced asthma, where one sees that when they run or play hard, they start to cough or wheeze.

Bronchiolitis

• Wheezing with symptoms of a cold (congestion, cough and sometimes a fever ) in infants under one year of age is often caused by a virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• It occurs in epidemics during the winter months.
• This is called bronchiolitis (not the same as bronchitis).
• About 1 to 2% of these children will need to be hospitalized for dehydration or because they need oxygen.
• About 30% of children who develop bronchiolitis may go on the have asthma later in life.
• Bronchiolitis may occur in children as old as 3 years old, but babies under 6 months are at highest risk for complications and severe symptoms.

Aspiration of a foreign body

• Aspiration of a foreign body may also produce sudden onset of wheezing.
• If you suspect your child may have had a choking episode on some hard food or foreign object and is wheezing, alert your doctor immediately.

Gastroesophageal reflux

• Gastroesophageal reflux may cause wheezing because the child will spit up and aspirate some of the fluid into the lungs. 
• This causes irritation in the lungs and then the baby may start wheezing.

Anaphylaxis

• Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction to a food or medication that may be associated with hives (itchy welt-like rash) and a sudden difficulty in breathing.
• If breathing is extremely labored, call 000 immediately.