Child with wheeze?

[FootsieMcTootsie]

Sorry for so many threads on corona virus but it (or another nasty virus) seems to be going through my family at the moment.
DS (6) is wheezing. That’s his only symptom. Not all the time, and not for long when it happens. In normal times I would barley have noticed. But obviously corona paranoia is high at the moment.
Would you be concerned if every few hours your child made a whistle like sound with breathing in for 10/20 seconds? Is that calling a Doctor worthy? He doesn’t have a cough or any other signs of illness. I’m unsure how he could even have a wheeze without a cough?

[Keepdistance]

Croup?
Does he scratch his throat?

[Bol87]

Is he really unwell? Does he need help breathing? Even if it is corona, there is no treatment. You just have to ride it out as you would a cold, cough, chest infection etc 🤷🏼‍♀️ Children mostly get mild symptoms, so potentially that’s what this may be.

Obviously, keep an eye as you would for any illness & if he’s struggling to take in air, then get him to a hospital! He’s 6 so he should be able to tell you if he’s struggling!

Hope he’s ok OP.

[MargotSimpson]

My child has been in hospital for wheeze multiple times. Please call 111 for advice. Get him to hospital if the air is being sucked under his ribs when he breathes or if you can see the hollow of his throat pulled in. That means he’s working really hard for breath and will need some sort of help ie nebuliser or inhaler. Hope he improves soon.

[FootsieMcTootsie]

I’ve never known anything like it. He makes a really loud high pitched whistle when breathing as I said it’s only for a few seconds every few hours. He’s not struggling or anything. So what could cause the wheeze?

[Frozenveggista]

I’d see a doc asap. My youngest had bronchitis as a toddler And had that sudden onset of a loud whistling wheeze. He could be struggling to fill his lungs. As pp says you may notice that he has to work v hard high breathing as in chest inflating but not diaphragm breathing lower down. Don’t take any chances with a wheeze he may well need a nebuliser or inhaler at hospital you should get him checked out ASAP. Good luck.

[Frozenveggista]

Also just for context when my dad had the wheeze he was pretty happy.

[Frozenveggista]

Sorry that should say my ds not dad

[SFCA]

Any other signs of respiratory distress? When he is wheezy how many times is he breathing in a minute (he should be calm and don’t tell him what you are doing or it makes it impossible to breath normally!) if my son is breathing more than 30 times a minute he is heading into trouble. Other signs are pulling in at the base of his neck when he is breathing, tugging in around his chest, using his shoulders when he is breathing, head bobbing, nasal flaring or getting clammy.

I always think with children you can’t be too safe, they change so fast!

[FootsieMcTootsie]

I’m waiting for 111 call back. He isn’t pulling in when breathing or breathing fast or anything. It is just a very loud whistley noise for a few seconds every now and again.

[FootsieMcTootsie]

I feel insane to have even phoned 111 about it. As I said paranoia is high.

[MargotSimpson]

Don’t feel bad for calling 111, you’ve done the right thing

[Toilenstripes]

It could also be allergies?

[indemMUND]

You're doing the right thing. DD had a severe cough that lasted 8 weeks from beginning to end. Luckily it stopped just before all of this kicked off. She was throwing her head back, straining her neck every time (every few minutes) and it was so, so loud. It was commented on in the supermarket, in taxis etc. School kept sending her home, to the point that I had to go to an attendance meeting and remind them that they were the ones keeping her off and going on doctors advice she was fine to stay in. After several GP appointments we were finally sent to the hospital. Chest X-ray, blood tests came back all clear. They even gave me a letter to give to school telling them not to send her home and make sure she always had access to a drink. They thought it was a post nasal drip but I've never heard anything like it from a child, I was on the verge of tearing my hair out because of the bloody noise. It just stopped one day and the relief was amazing.
It might be nothing but you're doing the right thing trying to find out what it is. Wheezing is something to be looked at. Kids seem to be determined to frighten us.

[slipperywhensparticus]

Post Viral wheeze is something my son gets often occasionally he needs an inhaler to help him at night

[Redred2429]

Has he ever been given an inhaler for any illness previously op

[FootsieMcTootsie]

111 basically just said to keep an eye on him and phone back if he started with a cough and wheeze or if the wheeze became more persistent or if he started to look like he was struggling. What I expected really.