ANALYZING LUNG SOUNDS

The process of listening with a stethoscope to the sounds of air circulating in the lungs at different spots on the anterior and posterior chest wall is called auscultation.  Healthy lungs sound very different from unhealthy ones.  Instead of the swish of free-flowing air, asthmatic lungs may crackle and wheeze due to narrowed airways. While a stethoscope can provide basic lung function information, it is not nearly as comprehensive as a computer-aided lung sound analysis (LSA) test.  The computer program is capable of recording subtle changes in sounds that are not audible with a stethoscope.  Testing is done during an attack-free period and can detect the presence of airway inflammation so that it can be treated before an attack occurs. 

P.S.   Low-pitched wheezing sounds on an exhaled breath might be a sign that the airways are thickened because of mucus from infection, asthma, or physical obstruction.

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