HESI Health Assessment Practice Test 2026 – All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

Wheezes are high-pitched sounds that occur when air flows through narrowed airways and are particularly characteristic of conditions involving bronchospasm or inflammation of the airways. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that is defined by episodes of airway obstruction due to constriction of the bronchial muscles, excessive mucus production, and airway inflammation. These factors significantly narrow the airflow in the respiratory tract, leading to the development of wheezing sounds during expiration.

While bronchial infections can lead to other respiratory sounds, wheezing is predominantly associated with asthma where there is a pronounced reactive airway component. Conditions like pneumothorax typically present with diminished breath sounds rather than wheezes, as they involve the presence of air in the pleural space causing lung collapse. Heart failure can lead to other adventitious sounds such as crackles due to fluid congestion in the lungs but does not typically cause wheezing in the same manner as asthma.