Wheezes are described as

• A. Continuous, high-pitched whistling sounds produced by narrowed airways
• B. Discontinuous, popping sounds
• C. Low-pitched rattling sounds
• D. Grating creaking sounds

Answer: (A)

Wheezes are continuous, high-pitched whistling sounds heard with auscultation when air moves through narrowed or obstructed airways. The narrowing—often from bronchospasm, inflammation, or mucus—causes a turbulent, vibrating air column, producing that musical sound, usually most evident during expiration. This contrasts with crackles, which are brief, popping sounds from sudden airway opening, and with other sounds like lower-pitched rhonchi or a grating friction rub, which are not wheezes.