A high-pitched whistling sound produced during breathing, typically on expiration, caused by narrowed airways in the lungs. It's commonly associated with asthma, bronchitis, or other respiratory conditions.
From Old Norse 'hvaesa' meaning 'to hiss,' related to the sound of air being forced through narrowed passages. The word has been used in English since the 15th century to describe this characteristic breathing sound.
A wheeze is like your lungs playing a sad whistle tune - it's the musical sound of air squeezing through airways that have become narrow and inflamed! Unlike stridor which comes from the throat, wheezes are generated deep in the lung's branching airways, creating a concert of whistles with each breath.
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