What lung sound is typically heard during an acute asthma attack?

• A. Wheezing
• B. Rhonchi
• C. Crackles
• D. Stridor

Answer: (A)

During an acute asthma attack, the airways are narrowed by bronchospasm and inflammation, so air rushing through these tight passages produces a high-pitched, musical sound called wheezing. It’s usually heard during expiration as the patient exhales against the constricted airways, though it can appear on inspiration in more severe cases. Rhonchi come from secretions in larger airways and are lower-pitched; crackles arise from fluid in the smaller airways or alveoli; stridor signals an upper airway obstruction. While severe obstruction can sometimes reduce breath sounds or make them difficult to hear, wheezing is the classic auscultatory finding in acute asthma.