


This usually occurs in the smaller parts of the lungs, like the alveoli. These sounds are formed when air moves into closed spaces. The terms rales or crackles have been used interchangeably and are usually a matter of preference, not a difference in the condition. Rales are a higher-pitched sound sometimes called crackles or bibasilar crackles. Listen to rhonchi here on the Medzcool YouTube channel. The sound you hear is the the sound the air makes as it moves around the blockage. These sounds are produced when there is something blocking the airway, like fluid. Rhonchi can either come and go on and inhale or exhale or be heard continuously. It can be heard on an inhale or exhale, and it’s often compared to the sound of snoring. This low-pitched sound that usually starts in the larger airways in the lungs. The difference between the two is in the pitch and the exact cause of the sound. Rales and rhonchi can both be coarse, even crackling sounds. In the rest of this article, you’ll learn about rales and rhonchi, what causes these sounds, and what treatment you can expect. This is a high-pitched, loud sound that sometimes sounds like a cough or bark.Įach of these types of sounds can signal different problems in the airway and lead your doctor or nurse in the direction of a particular diagnosis and treatment. This is a high-pitched sound, almost like a long squeak, that can occur as you inhale or exhale. This is a low-pitched sound that resembles snoring. This is a fine, high-pitched crackling or rattling sound that can occur when you inhale.

These are any additional or unexpected sounds that are heard with a stethoscope as you breathe in and out. Abnormal breathing sounds are sometimes called adventitious lung sounds. When other sounds are added or when normal breath sounds are missing, these can all indicate problems. Normal lung sounds are clear and equal across the five sections of your lungs: While there are a number of newer technologies like X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans to help diagnose problems that can affect your lungs, auscultation - or listening to you lungs with a stethoscope - is one of the best diagnostic methods. If they lose oxygen, these organs can start to die off in just minutes. Without the exchange of oxygen and other gases in the lungs, other vital organs like the brain and heart don’t get the energy they need to function. Listen to rales here on the Medzcool YouTube channel.Breathing is the most critical function your body carries out. Rales are usually broken up into more specific types, based on the way they sound. When these tiny sacs are damaged or weighed down with fluid or mucus, they can make a crackling sound as they attempt to fill with air. These are tiny sacs of air and inflate and deflate with each breath.
