Breath sounds are the noises produced by the structures of the lungs during breathing.
See also: Wheezing
Alternative NamesLung sounds; Breathing sounds
ConsiderationsThe lung sounds are best heard with a stethoscope. This is called auscultation.
Normal lung sounds occur in all parts of the chest area, including above the collarbones and at the bottom of the rib cage. Using a stethoscope, the doctor may hear normal breath sounds, decreased or absent breath sounds, and abnormal breath sounds.
Absent or decreased sounds can mean:
There are several types of abnormal breath sounds. The 4 most common are:
Rales are small clicking, bubbling, or rattling sounds in the lung. They are believed to occur when air opens closed air spaces. Rales can be further described as moist, dry, fine, and coarse.
Rhonchi are sounds that resemble snoring. They occur when air is blocked or becomes rough through the large airways.
Wheezes are high-pitched sounds produced by narrowed airways. They can be heard when a person breathes out (exhales). Wheezing and other abnormal sounds can sometimes be heard without a stethoscope.
Stridor is a wheeze-like sound heard when a person breathes. Usually it is due to a blockage of airflow in the windpipe (trachea) or in the back of the throat.
Common CausesNasal flaringand cyanosis are emergency symptoms. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath can be an emergency condition. Seek immediate medical care if you have any of these symptoms.
Contact your health care provider if you have wheezing or other abnormal breathing sounds.
See also: Breathing difficulty
What to expect at your health care provider's officeYour health care provider will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your medical history and your breathing.
Questions may include:
The health care provider usually discovers abnormal breath sounds. You may not even notice them.
The following tests may be done:
Breath sounds are the noises produced by the structures of the lungs during breathing.
See also: Wheezing
Alternative NamesLung sounds; Breathing sounds ConsiderationsThe lung sounds are best heard with a stethoscope. This is called auscultation.
Normal lung sounds occur in all parts of the chest area, including above the collarbones and at the bottom of the rib cage. Using a stethoscope, the doctor may hear normal breathing sounds, decreased or absent breath sounds, and abnormal breath sounds.
There are several types of abnormal breath sounds. The four most common are:
Rales are small clicking, bubbling, or rattling sounds in the lungs. They are believed to occur when air opens closed air spaces. Rales can be further described as moist, dry, fine, and course.
Rhonchi are sounds that resemble snoring. They occur when air is blocked or becomes rough through the large airways.
Wheezes are high-pitched sounds produced by narrowed airways. They can be heard when a person breathes out (exhales). Wheezing and other abnormal sounds can sometimes be heard without a stethoscope.
Stridor is a wheeze-like sound heard when a person breathes. Usually it is due to a blockage of airflow in the windpipe (trachea) or in the back of the throat.
Common CausesNasal flaringand cyanosis are emergency symptoms. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath can be an emergency condition. Seek immediate medical care if you have any of these symptoms.
Contact your health care provider if you have wheezing or other abnormal breathing sounds.
See also: Breathing difficulty
Your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your medical history and your breathing.
Questions may include:
The health care provider usually discovers abnormal breath sounds. You may not even notice them.
The following tests may be done:
Review Date: 06/08/2011
Andrew Schriber, MD, FCCP, Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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Pleasant sounds are nice to hear and unpleasant sounds are not nice to hear.
Low pitched sounds have a low frequency. Higher sounds have high frequency, that is the number of waves passing a point per second is greater.
High sounds are usually heard when you play the keys of a piano that are on your right; they have shorter wavelengths than low sounds. Low sounds are usually heard when the keys on a piano's left end are played; they have long wavelengths. Soft sounds are quiet and can't render your ears deaf. Loud sounds that are over 85 decibels can damage your hearing.
bronchial sounds
no breath sounds
A doctor can tell if a person has abnormal breath sounds by listening with a stethoscope. This is often seen in people with COPD or asthma.
Air is normally able to pass through the bronchial tree normally is the bronchial tree is open via laminar flow. Breath sounds are heard during auscultation of the chest, using a stethoscope. Normal breath sounds are termed as vesicular breath sounds. However, in conditions such as a pleural effusion where there is air within the pleural cavity, the flow of air becomes disturbed. Therefore, there will be absent breath sounds and if the effusion is large, bronchial breath sounds will be heard which are both abnormal.
Clear to Ausculation.
yes the do, they use them for checking breath sounds, hart sounds, and for taking blood pressure.
Lobectomy
plulmoary embolism
The person's lungs are not moving air well in emphysema. Also irritants cause increased production of phlegm, which can reduce air movement, hence, diminished breath sounds.
Vesicular breath sounds are soft and low pitched. These are the most commonly heard breath sounds. Diminished vesicular sounds are less robust than vesicular sounds. These sounds can occur in patients who move a lowered volume of air, such as in frail, elderly patients or shallow breathing patients. For audio recordings and more details, see http://www.easyauscultation.com/lung-sounds.aspx
BBS stands for Bilateral Breath Sounds.
Exudates in the alveoli cause rales (crackles).
wheezing from shortness of breath