Wheezing at night while lying down is a common symptom of asthma although it can also be caused by anxiety, GERD or even obesity.
Acid Reflux or GERD can also lead to wheezing at night in some cases or you may also have acute bronchitis.
If the wheezing at night continues or gets worse you should see a doctor.
If you don't treat wheezing the wheezing may go away but if the wheezing continues and you don't treat the continued wheezing it can lead to scarring of the lungs and loss of the surface layer of the lungs.
The tubes of your lungs can also become thicker and less air will be able to pass through and the airway muscles can become enlarged and less able to relax.
It can lead to permanent lung damage in some cases.
You should go to the hospital for wheezing if the wheezing lasts longer than a few weeks or gets worse or you have any unexplained wheezing or wheezing that keeps coming back or is accompanied by difficulty breathing or rapid breathing.
You can clear your lungs and stop wheezing by taking a steamy shower, using a humidifier, sitting in the bathroom with the hot shower running and the door closed and by drinking some water or warm tea.
When wheezing won't stop it can mean you have a lung infection, lung issues, asthma or other conditions such as COPD or heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Most cases of wheezing will eventually go away although some types of wheezing may need medications to stop the wheezing and manage the wheezing.
Wheezing can last for up to 2 to 3 weeks although most cases of wheezing last 7 to 10 days or sometimes a few days depending on the cause of the wheezing.
If you continue to wheeze and cough for more than 2 weeks, especially at night when you lay down or when you are active or you continue to cough for more than 2 weeks and have a bad tasting fluid come up into your mouth you should call your doctor.
The medication that is used for wheezing cough is typically Theophylline and Guafenesin in combination.
However depending on the cause of the wheezing cough other types of medications may be used which include HFA, ProAir Digihaler, Leukotriene Modifiers, Dextromethorphan, Beclometasone, Albuterol, Levalbuterol, Bronchodilator, Ventolin, Salmeterol, Budesonide and Corticosteroids.
The two types of wheezing are expiratory wheezing when you exhale or breathe out and inspiratory wheezing when you breathe in or inhale.
Wheezing sometimes means fluid in the lungs which can lead to shortness of breath, coughing of loose mucus or coughing up foam.
If your wheezing is from fluid in your lungs it can be life threatening and is known as pulmonary edema so you should seek medical treatment.
People with pulmonary edema may experience some or all of the following symptoms which include trouble breathing, or shortness of breath, feelings of anxiety related to breathing difficulties, wheezing or noisy breathing.
Wheezing can indicate and be caused by the common cold, allergies, irritation, dust, sleep apnea, vocal cord dysfunction, smoking, cystic fibrosis, respiratory syncytial virus, lung cancer, Anaphylaxis, GERD, Asthma, Heart Failure, Lung Cancer, Bronchitis, Pneumonia , Covid-19 and COPD.
Wheezing is a sign that you may be having breathing problems.
The sound of wheezing is most obvious when you're breathing out (exhaling).
The sound of wheezing may also be heard when you're breathing in (inhaling).
Wheezing most often comes from the small breathing tubes (bronchial tubes) deep in your lungs.
Any inflammation and narrowing of the airway in any location, from your throat out into your lungs, can result in wheezing.
The most common causes of recurrent wheezing are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which both cause narrowing and spasms (bronchospasms) in the small airways of your lungs.
Some ways you can stop and get rid of wheezing include.
Moisturizing the air. Use a humidifier, take a steamy shower or sit in the bathroom with the door closed while running a hot shower. ...
Drink plenty of water and other fluids. Warm liquids can relax the airway and loosen up sticky mucus in your throat.
Avoid tobacco smoke.
If your wheezing is caused by asthma, your doctor may recommend some or all of the following to reduce inflammation and open the airways: A fast-acting bronchodilator inhaler – albuterol (Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA), levalbuterol (Xopenex) – to dilate constricted airways when you have respiratory symptoms.
The main causes of wheezing include.
Asthma, either allergic or exercise-induced.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Bronchitis.
Pneumonia.
Upper respiratory viral illness, such as a cold, the flu or COVID-19.