When to worry about noisy breathing

Noisy breathing can occur anytime throughout childhood. Most of the time, this is not serious and usually resolves on its own. However sometimes it could be the result of something more serious.  Children may be born with it or develop noisy breathing at anytime throughout childhood.

The breathing sound that you hear comes from the flow of air through the nose and mouth and into the lungs. In most children, airflow can be disturbed which results in a wide range of sounds that are produced. Disruption of air flow can occur at any point of airway due to a variety of causes.  Breathing sounds are usually different. It depends on whether the child is breathing in or out. In situations where the airways becomes narrow, the sound increases  in volume.

Even though noisy breathing is common, it is important to know that it can be a sign of something more serious. You have to take note of these warning signs

• struggling to breathe
• breathing pauses
• frequent choking during eating or drinking
• becoming winded quickly during activity
• becoming more ill than other kids during simple colds

The development of noisy breathing warrants evaluation by your pediatrician . The pediatrician will take into consideration factors such as

• circumstance surrounding your child’s birth
• riks factors for developing noisy  breathing
• identify how your child’s unique attributes that may contribute to the condition.

After the evaluation, the doctor will determine  if your child needs to see a pediatric otolaryngologist. The pediatric otolaryngologist will examine your child and determine the cause of the noisy  breathing. Depending on the cause, he will determine the treatment option which may range from simple observation to modifying your child’s feeding, starting medication and occasionally surgery.

If you have any concerns of your child’s breathing , it is important to contact your pediatrician for evaluation.