Not All That Wheezes is Asthma

Many people think that wheezing is synonymous with asthma, when in fact, it is not. While true wheezing is a clue for asthma, not all asthmatics wheeze. Conversely, people who wheeze may have other diseases rather than asthma as the cause of their symptoms. Wheezing may be caused by asthma, post-nasal drip from sinus infections, structural abnormalities of the airways, vocal cord dysfunction, as well as other diseases.

An important mimicker of asthma is vocal cord dysfunction, or VCD. VCD is a disease characterized by abnormal movement of the vocal cords, which results in shortness of breath, chest or neck tightness, and a wheezing-like sound with breathing in. Many people with VCD are wrongly diagnosed with asthma -- typical asthma medications do not help their symptoms, and these people may visit the emergency room often because of "severe asthma".

Read more about:

• Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Asthma Basics
• Sinus Infections