What is the primary characteristic of wheezes?

Wheezes are primarily characterized by difficulty breathing associated with a whistling sound. This sound is produced when air flows through narrowed airways, which can occur in various respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The high-pitched nature of wheezes is a key indicator of airway obstruction, making it an important clinical sign to assess during respiratory evaluations.

The other options do not accurately characterize wheezes; for example, a faint-sounding heartbeat relates to cardiovascular issues, coarse sounds from the pericardium pertain to heart sounds rather than respiratory issues, and absence of breath would indicate either severe respiratory distress or apnea, which is unrelated to the specific sound of wheezing. Thus, understanding the sound and its implications is crucial for effective evaluation and management of respiratory conditions.