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Noisy Breathing in Children
“My child is making a whistling sound.”
“It sounds noisy when breathing in.”
“My baby sounds blocked or snoring all the time.”
“Is it from the nose, throat or lungs?”
Noisy breathing is a very common reason parents bring a child to a paediatric clinic.
Different sounds often come from different parts of the airway, and this can help us understand the possible cause.
The 3 Common Types of Noisy Breathing
Wheeze Whistling sound from the lungs
Stridor Harsh sound from the throat
Stertor Snoring or blocked-nose sound
1. Wheeze — A Whistling Sound from the Lungs
What do parents usually hear?
- “Wheee” or a musical whistle
- Often louder when the child breathes out
- May be heard from the chest
Common causes
- Bronchiolitis (common in infants)
- Viral induced wheeze
- Multi-triggered wheeze
- Asthma
- Allergy-related airway narrowing
2. Stridor — A Harsh Sound from the Throat
What do parents usually hear?
- A harsh, squeaky or crowing sound
- Louder when the child breathes in
- Often seems to come from the throat or neck
Common causes
- Croup (the most common cause in young children)
- Swelling around the voice box
- Less commonly, an inhaled object
- Rarely, structural airway problems
3. Stertor — A Snoring or Blocked-Nose Sound
What do parents usually hear?
- Snoring
- Snuffling
- Blocked-nose breathing
- A low-pitched rattly or congested sound
Common causes
- Nasal congestion from a cold
- Allergic rhinitis
- Enlarged adenoids
- Enlarged tonsils
- Mucus in the nose or throat
“I Can’t Tell Which One It Is”
That is completely okay.
Many parents find these sounds very difficult to tell apart, especially in babies and young children.
You do not need to identify the exact type of noise before seeking help.
If it is safe to do so, a short video or audio recording can be very helpful for the paediatrician.
If you are unsure whether your child is wheezing, has stridor, or simply sounds congested, please bring your child to our clinic for assessment.
When Should I Bring My Child to the Clinic?
Arrange a paediatric appointment if:
- The noisy breathing is new, recurrent or persistent
- It affects sleep, feeding or activity
- There is wheezing, a barking cough, or repeated night-time symptoms
- Your child has known asthma and needs the reliever inhaler more often
- You are simply not sure what the sound means
Seek Urgent Medical Care If:
- Is breathing very fast
- Is struggling to breathe
- Has chest indrawing or pulling at the neck
- Cannot drink or feed because of breathing difficulty
- Has blue or grey lips
- Has pauses in breathing
- Becomes unusually sleepy or difficult to wake
- Develops sudden noisy breathing after a choking episode
- Suspected foreign body ingestion
What to Expect During the Consultation
At our clinic, we help determine whether the noisy breathing is coming from the nose, throat or lungs, identify the most likely cause, and decide on the appropriate treatment.
Depending on the assessment:
- Wheezing (from the lungs): nebulisation or inhaled treatment may be given when indicated.
- Stridor (from the upper airway, such as croup): nebulisation and further assessment may be required.
- Stertor due to thick nasal secretions in babies: nasal wash and gentle suction may be performed to help clear the nose and improve breathing and feeding.
If needed, we can also arrange further investigations, referral to the appropriate paediatric subspecialist, or hospital assessment.
Need a Paediatric Assessment?
· Contact Southern Child Specialist Clinic to arrange an appointment. If your child appears seriously unwell or has an urgent warning sign, seek emergency medical care without delay.
Evidence & Guidelines
- Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne – Acute Upper Airway Obstruction: guidance on recognising stridor, stertor and upper-airway obstruction and assessing severity.
- Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne – Assessment of Severity of Respiratory Conditions: assessment of wheeze, stridor, work of breathing and oxygenation.
- American Family Physician, 2026 – Wheezing in Children: clinical features and common causes of wheeze, including viral wheeze, bronchiolitis and asthma.
- American Family Physician, 2026 – Croup: clinical features and management of barking cough and inspiratory stridor.
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