Asthma Triggers Less Common Causes of Chest Wheezing By Pat Bass, MD twitter linkedin Dr. Bass is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians. Learn about our editorial process Pat Bass, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Benjamin F. Asher, MD on July 08, 2020 facebook linkedin Benjamin F. Asher, MD, FACS, is board-certified in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. For 30 years, he has worked at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic. Learn about our Medical Review Board Benjamin F. Asher, MD Updated on January 21, 2021 Print Not all that wheezes is asthma! While wheezing is just one of the common symptoms of asthma and may be part of symptoms associated with COPD and vocal chord dysfunction, a number of other diseases can be associated with asthma symptoms such as wheezing and cough. Learn about some of the less common conditions that may cause you to wheeze. Maskot / Getty Images 1 Congestive Heart Failure Congestive heart failure (CHF) means the heart is unable to provide an adequate blood supply to the rest of the body. In addition to wheezing, patients have shortness of breath, difficulty breathing when lying flat, and swelling in the lower extremities. Unlike wheezing in asthma patients, CHF patients will often have a large heart on chest X-ray. Additionally, a heart ultrasound will demonstrate a decreased ejection fraction or ability to adequately pump blood to the rest of the body. 2 Pulmonary Embolism (PE) This is a blood clot in the lungs. While a person with a PE may occasionally have wheezing symptoms, more common symptoms are a sudden onset of shortness of breath and chest pain. PE may be associated with risk factors such as: Use of birth control pillsHistory of a previous blood clotImmobility associated with long plane or car trips While both PE and asthma may be associated with a low level of oxygen in the blood as measured by pulse oximetry, a PE is associated with a blood clot in the blood vessels of the lung demonstrated by a spiral CT or VQ scan. 3 Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Patients with CF usually have poor growth in childhood, cough, and shortness of breath in addition to wheezing. While not frequently confused with asthma, CF can be diagnosed with a special test called the sweat chloride test. 4 Bronchiectasis Patients with bronchiectasis will often have episodes of recurrent pneumonia associated with cough and shortness of breath. If patients are treated with inhalers or corticosteroids, they will generally not respond. Bronchiectasis may be diagnosed using a CT of the chest. 5 Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Wheezing from hypersensitivity pneumonitis results after chronic exposure to certain substances called antigens, such as moldy hay and bird droppings. Unlike asthma, which causes an obstructive pattern on spirometry, hypersensitivity pneumonitis leads to a restrictive pattern. Wheezing generally goes away after removal of the offending antigen. 6 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) While GERD can be a cause of worsening asthma, GERD can also lead to less common causes of wheezing from recurrent pneumonia or scarring of the lungs. Unlike asthma, wheezing from this condition usually goes away after treatment of the underlying condition. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Heart failure. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Venous Thromboembolism. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Cystic fibrosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Bronchiectasis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Cleveland Clinic. GERD and asthma. Updated June 7, 2013.