New Here: Help! WHY is My Breathing Crackling...?

[Dobie80]

Hello All!

After reading several threads here in recent months I just decided to join, and this is my first post.

I am mostly healthy, with a history that includes a fair amount of running, lots of acid reflux, some early stages of coronary artery disease, a little bit of dysphagia (a swallow study says my swallowing muscles are weak), and a little bit of asthma.

For over a year now I've been having a crackling sound when I breathe, and this concerns, perplexes, and worries me.

At first I just started noticing at night that I would often hear a little pop or crackle when I breathed in. The crackling got louder and more frequent early this year. It varies up and down some from day to day and over the course of a day, getting worse a few hours before bed and subsiding a good deal a while after I get up, but the crackling has been noticeable for some part of almost every day for nearly a year now. The sound is audible from my mouth, and I've created several recordings of it by holding my phone up to my mouth. In recent months I've also often had the feeling of frequently needing to clear my throat, and am sometimes spitting out phlegm. My asthma has never been very bad, usually only flaring when I run in the cold or in polluted air. But lately I'm having more wheezing, especially at night, with no obvious trigger.

When I first looked up crackling breathing online, I was expecting to find that it was just an asthma symptom I hadn't been familiar with yet. Instead, the medical information online consistently says crackles cannot be caused by asthma but can be caused by several progressive, fatal lung diseases.

So this has sent me on a medical wild goose chase. I've recorded my crackles at night (when they are by far loudest) and played them for a nurse and two doctors. The nurse identified them as "fine crackles" made by the lungs, but the doctors have been noncommittal. When they've listened to my lungs with the stethoscope, they haven't heard them, but it's hard to say whether this is because 1) the crackles aren't in the lungs; or, 2) the crackles are almost always quiet during the day, and I never have doctor appointments in the middle of the night! [Edit:] However, just the morning after I posted this, I was having particularly bad crackles while still in bed, so I tried to listen for the crackles myself with a stethoscope. I found a spot where I could hear them clearly, at the base of my left lung, with just the same sound pattern I hear from my mouth. They sound very much like the examples of "fine crackles" on medical videos teaching doctors and nurses how to distinguish different types of lung sounds, except that my crackles are not as numerous as those in the examples.

I've seen a lung specialist a few times and he performed pulmonary function tests and CT scan and these came up normal. So my lung specialist suggested the cause was somehow digestive. Hence I've seen a gastroenterologist about the crackles and he found it completely wild to think that my gastro system could create crackles that went with my breathing. He told me the problem had to be with my lungs. So then I got a high res CT scan of my lungs, and this again came up normal. The radiologist didn't say there couldn't be any lung disease beginning, but did say there could not be "significant" lung disease present.

So here I sit tonight listening to a sort of "snap, crackle, pop" sound coming out of my mouth with each breath right now, still wondering, "What's going on?"

One of my few potentially useful observations about the crackles, which I'm still actively testing, is that they _may_ be worse on days when I'm eating dairy, fatty foods, and such, which makes me wonder whether certain foods might thicken the mucus in my lungs more, leading to more crackles; or whether these foods are just triggering acid reflux which is somehow causing the crackling itself or getting aspirated into my lungs; or whether something else is going on altogether.

I'm still young, as far as I'm concerned (at the beginning of my 50s), and mostly in good health, so I'm hoping for a good number of healthy years of life to come. And so this crackling worries me and probably will until I understand what's causing it. If it is the start of some pernicious disease, I want to know that as soon as possible so I can begin treating the condition _before_ it does significant damage. That way I could have a much brighter prognosis.

But how in the world do I figure this one out?!

The complexity of it seems so strange, and I don't know what it all means and what steps to take next to figure things out and/or make them better.

D

[Oshgosh]

Can I ask are you on an treatment for asthma ?

[Hidden]

I think that you need to see someone who is an expert in asthma. Asthma can cause crackles ( as can other lung conditions) and as you have a history of mild asthma this could be the condition changing its nature. You probably only need a change of treatment if you are having any or a good inhaler if you are not receiving any treatment.For goodness sake stay away from the internet. You will scare yourself to death and get no answers. Only someone experienced in asthma can help you.

[Alberta56]

One or two other people on this forum get crackles, so you are not alone. Little Pom is right (as always). You could try the Lung Foundation Help LIne. Best wishes. Hope someone soon will put your mind at rest.

[Hidden]

quote .. But how in the world do I figure this one out?! unquote

You can't figure it out, nor can any one here. A specialised respiratory consultant can, and this would be your go to.

You say you have already had a CT scan which came back normal. That would have been seen by a specialist consultant. In UK a radiologist does not diagnosed only the respiratory consultant would do that.

So the CT scan indicates there is not a problem.

All I can suggest is, if symptoms persist keep going to your doctor and keep treating the reflux and asthma accordingly. Communicate all changes with your breathing to your doctor to progress toward helping your health issues.

Best wishes BK

[Walkwalkwalk]

The information from Little Pom is a very good precis as a way to move forward with this As I read your post I did get the impression a basically healthy individual so don’t let your worry about this undermine that. You are right in that the complexity is strange but as the respiratory investigation so far is showing very positive results that advice to get expert advice re asthma is so very valuable.

My best wishes for a more relaxing lead in to 2021

[knitter]

I was diagnosed with late onset asthma , and used to hear crackles in my lungs , but they are clear now, but I still get mucus and a cough in my throat .

You say that you can hear crackles when you breathe through your mouth.....try and gentle nose breathing instead to warm and filter the air . Gentle nose breaths with relaxed diaphragm and shoulders. Mouth breathing may cause a bit of hyperventilation. Has your breathing pattern been checked, rate of breathing for instance . Does it change with stress?

Have you tried relaxation and meditation to calm the breath ?

I found Jon Kabat Zinn you tube videos good.

Any allergy tests ? Try and eat fruit and veg, and I take a good vitamin and mineral pill. I found after a few attempts a preventer inhaler which helps me .

I found a reflux remedy which works too.

You have been checked medically so that’s good , hopefully these crackles will go just as mine have

[Dobie80]

Hi all! Thank you so much for your responses, reassurance, and helpful information! I will try to respond to you individually later. In a new twist, I actually was able to hear the crackles at the base of one of my lungs this morning with a stethoscope. They were very similar to samples of "fine crackles" in the videos I've found for training medical professionals in how to distinguish different lung sounds, except I didn't have as many crackles as the people in the videos. So, as had already been fairly evident from how they go with my breathing, the crackles are indeed coming from my lungs. This is not comforting, but it's excellent information to have.

[Hidden in reply to Dobie80]

Crackles in the lungs do indicate a lung infection, its what the doctor would listen for in determining infection. (what you heard as crackles may not be a doctors interpretation of course) So if crackles in the lung this would indicate you definitely need to make a telephone appointment with your doctor and communicate your symptoms and discuss. (depending on procedure in the USA -- what I have communicated is based on my experiences with my condition and living in the UK)

Please don't delay and don't go on solely what people say here, your doctor is a medical professional who can make those decisions to treat your symptoms or not.

As I have mentioned before, lung infections need treating asap, to delay you risk further lung damage.

Having said that if you have had these crackles for so long, your doctors can't hear them and you are still running chances are you don't have a lung infection, because with a lung infection it gets worse if left untreated, activity is limited as is breathing, eventually you would likely end up in hospital, which really is not the way to go especially in this pandemic.

Best wishes.

[peege]

Hello, welcome to the British Lung Foundation patient's forum! I lived my life with underlying asthma that only caused shortness of breathing chest pain on excessive exertion eg steep hills. It took a downturn in my late forties with more shortness of breath, crackles and wheezes which I heard at night when all was quiet. Began using daily preventive inhalers and blue rescue inhaler Ventolin. On reflection I knew little about the disease, if I did I'd have understood what was going on a few years later when I began to get repeated chest infections and pneumonia multiple times.

Just know that asthma can change and it's important to keep seeing your gp &/or consultant to keep on top of whatever is going on and avoid your triggers and getting infections.

Also reflux and lung issues seem to go hand in hand. For my reflux I avoid fat and acid food which really helps.

The help line here is great as is the helpline on the asthmauk forum. Good luck. P

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[Ergendl]

My previous husband had late onset asthma in his 50s and it was affected by foods such as cows milk, white flour and egg products; but yours may be different. If you suspect some food products are causing issues, try completing a simple food, drink and symptom diary for a week or so. Then take out one of the foods you think might be causing an issue and see if there is an improvement in symptoms. It may be obvious in 5 days. After 2 weeks add that food back into your diet and see if symptoms get worse again. Then after a week, try another food group. Keep recording it all in your diary throughout the process. If you do discover a dietary link, ask your GP for a referral to a dietitian. All the best.

[Dedalus]

I can't help regarding your condition, sorry, but there is good advice above; I would just like to say hello and welcome to our lovely forum, which I'm sure you will find very informative and helpful.

[Smoggy1990Boggy]

What regime are you on for your asthma? I would phone the Asthma UK nurses on the helpline when they are back which I think will be January 4th 2020. Their number is 0300 2225800 and its Monday to Friday except bank holidays 9am until 5pm

[Thepainterswife]

I have no knowledge of asthma but I can see you’ve been given some good advice from those who have on here. What I would say is that worry makes everything seem so much worse . I know from experience - I must have researched every site on emphysema and now my dog has disc disease every site on that . Some give a bit of comfort , some just instill me with terror - the only way to really put your mind at rest is to consult the experts personally and I think previous comments have pointed you in the right direction for that . Best of luck and welcome to the site

[Barclay1560]

Hi, since l was very unwell at the beginning of November ( abscess on my liver, blocked bile ducts, Kidney failure & then blood poisoning) l came home from having 2-3 weeks in hospital fighting for my life with what sounds like half a dozen cats and mice riding squeaky bikes singing every night .....😲😲😲😲😲😲 the noise is so loud it wakes my husband up and if l do nothing it just goes on and on .Day time l get crackles , pops and speaks as well , so far l’ve had an MRI which they now say is OK , lm waiting to see the lung department for help now and like you lm getting very worried.

I don’t know if l’ve damaged my lungs from the blood poisoning or it’s just old age ( lm 65) l’ve had lung damage in the past but that was over 40 years ago , lm a none smoker , none drinker as well.

I do hope you find out what yours is , lm using an asthma puffer at the minute ( doc gave it to me to help ) l’ve never had asthma but anything’s worth a try especially when your so tired you could cry and the cats and mice having a party in your lungs is deafening all night .

Happy new year , keep the faith that they will find an answer quickly now Christmas is over .......Ami and her musical lungs 💋💋💋💋💋