What do wheezes indicate during breathing?

Wheezes are indicative of airway narrowing or obstruction, which leads to a high-pitched whistling sound during breathing, especially when exhaling. This sound occurs when the airflow through the respiratory tract is restricted, often due to conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or bronchitis. The presence of wheezing suggests that the individual is experiencing difficulty in breathing and may require further evaluation or intervention.

Recognizing wheezes is critical in clinical assessments as they can be a sign of respiratory distress or an exacerbation of underlying lung diseases, necessitating timely medical response. In contrast, normal breathing patterns would not include such sounds, and the temporary absence of breath and coarse heart sounds are unrelated to the wheezing phenomenon, as they denote different medical issues.