Chest congestion

[queries]

I'm in the middle of a nasty cold with a lot of chest congestion - but what causes the crackling when I breathe? Quite alarming at times!

[Sqad]

I am assuming that the "cracking" is when you breath out and NOT when you breath in.........the difference is quite critical.

Assuming that you mean on breathing out, then the noise is due to air trying to escape past ling fluid in narrowed tubes.

[Sqad]

;-) "ling fluid" should read "lung fluid"

[queries]

Yes, definitely OUT, not in - i was just wondering what ling fluid was!! Thank you!

[wolf63]

queries - you have my sympathy. I sound like a steam train just now, even going to the bathroom is exhausting me - granted I am never very energetic but I feel totally washed out.

I live on my own with two ungrateful, spiteful, spoiled moggies who are helping me to recover by wakening me at regular intervals so I can feed them and I still have to catch one of them to give him his asthma inhaler.

I am off back to bed. I hope you start feeling better soon.

[masma]

Sqad.... can you explain why there's a difference between the crackling when breathing in or out - my chest rattles away with either. I do suffer with Bronchiectasis (?) and Asthma though. TIA x

[Sqad]

masma....yes.

"Crackles or musical sounds or wheezing is due to air trying to squeeze through airways that are either narrowed or filled with fluid or mucus or pus (gunge)

If it is an sound on breathing in it is usually the upper part of the respiratory tree, trachea or main bronchi that is involved, but if it is a sound on breathing out, it is usually further down in the respiratory tree e.g the bronchioles.
However, in more severe or long standing cases it can be both, inspiratory and expiratory.