Wheezes are commonly associated with which conditions?

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Wheezes occur when airways are narrowed or obstructed, causing turbulent airflow that creates a high-pitched whistling sound, usually during expiration. This makes sense for conditions that repeatedly constrict or block the airways, such as chronic obstructive diseases like COPD and emphysema, where airflow limitation is ongoing. GERD can trigger bronchospasm or reflux-related airway irritation, leading to wheezing similar to asthma. Heart failure can cause lung and airway edema, narrowing small airways and producing wheezes sometimes described as a “cardiac wheeze.” Lung cancer can narrow or block a bronchus, leading to wheezing from partial obstruction. Other conditions like pneumothorax typically cause decreased or absent breath sounds with hyperresonance rather than wheezing, pulmonary embolism often presents with chest pain and dyspnea with variable lung sounds, and atelectasis usually gives diminished breath sounds or dullness rather than wheeze.