Noisy Breathing: When to Be Concerned

It can be difficult to determine if your child’s breathing is normal or something more concerning. While concerning breathing should always be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional, the American Academy of Pediatrics has some notes on what to look out for.

What can noisy breathing mean?
- Congestion
  - Significant nasal congestion can cause noisy breathing
- Bronchiolitis
  - The most common cause of this under the age of 2 is RSV
- Asthma
  - Recurrent episodes of wheezing
  - The main cause of noisy breathing after age 2
- Foreign object
  - Sudden onset of noisy breathing, coughing, and/or choking
  - Peak age for this is 1 to 4 years of age
  - Seek medical attention right away!
When to be concerned
- Difficulty breathing, blue color of the lips and/or face, inability to cry
- Sudden change in your child’s level of consciousness
- If you are concerned your child may be choking on a foreign body (food/candy, a toy, etc.)