What's going on when there are bubbling sounds in the lungs

When auscultating the breath sounds, air can pass through the secretions of the trachea. At this time, when the air passes through the swollen or spasmodic bronchi, the doctor can hear some additional breath noises, which are also called rales. According to some characteristics and properties of the rales, they can be divided into dry rales and wet rales. Through such diagnosis, further confirmation can be made, combined with other examination methods, and then symptomatic treatment can be carried out.

Dry rales

Dry rales are caused by stenosis or partial obstruction of the trachea and bronchi, resulting in turbulence when air is inhaled or exhaled. They are often seen in respiratory inflammation caused by bronchial mucosal congestion and edema, viscous secretions, bronchial smooth muscle spasm, or intracavitary tumors or foreign body obstruction. When dry rales occur in larger bronchi, they are called snoring sounds, which are characterized by low pitch and loudness; when they occur in smaller bronchi, they are called "flying arrow sounds" or "flying arrow sounds", which are characterized by sharp, short sounds and high pitch; if the "flying arrow sounds" can be heard throughout the lungs, they can also be called "wheezing sounds".

Dry rales can be heard during exhalation or inhalation, but are more obvious during exhalation. Their tone and location are variable and uncertain, that is, they may increase or decrease significantly in a short period of time. They are mostly caused by bronchitis. If it is wheezing, it is mostly caused by bronchial asthma or wheezing bronchitis. Dry rales occurring in both lungs are common in bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and cardiogenic pulmonary edema; localized dry rales are common in bronchial endobronchial tuberculosis or tumors.

Wet rales

Wet rales (also known as bubbling sounds) are the sounds produced when air flows through the trachea or bronchi containing thin secretions during breathing, causing the secretions to form bubbles and burst rapidly. It is the sound produced by the gas passing through the thin secretions in the respiratory tract during inhalation. According to the size of the respiratory tract cavity and the amount of secretions, the bubbling sound can be divided into large, medium and small (or called coarse, medium and fine wet rales), which are produced in the large, medium and small bronchi respectively. The big bubble sound is loud and low-pitched; the small bubble sound is weak and high-pitched; the medium bubble sound is between the two. The small bubbling sounds, the thinnest of which are like the sound produced when twisting hair, are called twisting sounds. Large blister sounds are more common in patients with bronchiectasis, cavitary tuberculosis, pulmonary edema and coma; medium and small blister sounds are seen in bronchopneumonia, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, etc. The auscultatory characteristics of moist rales are intermittent, short-lived, and relatively fixed in position. They are often more obvious at the end of inspiration and may be alleviated or disappear after coughing.

Moist rales can be diffuse throughout the lungs or confined to a certain part of the lungs. They can be heard during both inhalation and exhalation, but are more obvious during deep inhalation. It is common clinically in bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary congestion, pulmonary edema and bronchiectasis.