Main TopicsHow is stridor diagnosed?
Table of Contents
How is stridor diagnosed?
Stridor is usually diagnosed based on health history and a physical exam. The child may need a hospital stay and emergency surgery, depending on how severe the stridor is. If left untreated, stridor can block the child's airway. This can be life-threatening or even cause death.
What is stridor an indicator of?
Stridor is the sign of a blockage within the upper airways. Doctors divide stridor into three types, depending on the point at which the sound occurs in the breathing cycle. The three types of stridor are: Inspiratory, which occurs when breathing in, and indicates a blockage above the vocal cords.
When do you hear stridor?
Stridor is a high-pitched sound you make when you breathe through a narrow or partly blocked airway. Air can't flow through your lungs smoothly, so it's harder to breathe. Stridor is usually loudest when you breathe in.
How do you relieve stridor?
How is stridor treated?
- refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
- provide oral or injected medication to decrease swelling in the airway.
- recommend hospitalization or surgery in severe cases.
- require more monitoring.
Is the stridor sound a symptom or a diagnosis?
Stridor is the noise made by air being forced through narrowed upper airways. The characteristic sound and associated features are seen when there is stenosis in the supraglottic, glottic, subglottic, or tracheal level*. Importantly, stridor is a symptom, not a diagnosis, thus further investigation is warranted to identify the underlying cause.
What kind of X-ray do you need for stridor?
If your doctor thinks the cause of the stridor is a foreign object, such as a piece of food that you’ve ingested or inhaled, he or she may recommend a chest X-ray. X-ray creates detailed pictures of structures inside the body and may show an object lodged in the airway or lungs.
What kind of noise does the BMJ stridor make?
The BMJ Stridor is the noise made by air being forced through narrowed upper airways. The characteristic sound and associated features are seen when there is stenosis in the supraglottic, glottic, subglottic, or tracheal level*.
When does the stridor sound become a red flag?
Stridor itself is a red flag sign and investigation and management must be instigated urgently. Potentially more concerning is when the volume of the stridor sound decreases, as that can mean the patient is becoming tired and less air is being shifted by the lungs.
