Whistles, crunches … Our body speaks to us!

Wheezing: beware of asthma

The wheezing is a sharp sound more or less pronounced, perceptible when breathing, especially at expiration. It may indicate bronchospasm, that is, a restriction of the size of the bronchioles, characteristic of asthma.

What to do ? Consult your doctor who will eventually refer you to a specialist. In case of asthma, taking a inhaled corticosteroid and a bronchodilator is indicated.

Whistling in the nose: a problem of nasal septum

If you have noisy breathing outside cold-like infectious episodes, this may indicate a deviated nasal septum, hypertrophy of horns, bone formations in the nasal cavity, or nasal polyposis. sinus, polyps being benign tumors that appear in clusters on congested mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses.

What to do ? Make an appointment with your ENT. Inhaled corticosteroids are the treatment of choice.

Crunches of the knees: and if it was chondromatosis?

Joint crunches are normal: they are linked to the bursting of the nitrogen bubbles that are in the synovium (the lubricant of the joints). Nevertheless, if a knee or a hip that has never cracked becomes noisy, to the point of being audible by the entourage, it can express the presence of a chondromatosis, rheumatic disease which generates a hyperproduction of synovium and sometimes the appearance of cartilage fragments in the joint cavity.

What to do ? See a rheumatologist who will prescribe an MRI and sometimes arthrography. This pathology is sometimes the object of an operation to "clean" the joint.

Ears beating wildly: there is high blood pressure in the air

Listen carefully to the pulsatile tinnitus that you perceive inside your ear. Stuck on the rhythm of the heart, they can announce high blood pressure or atherosclerosis, accumulation of fatty deposits in the wall of the vessels, in the level of the middle and inner ear.

What to do ? If this persists, have your blood pressure measured. Depending on the results, medical imaging tests and possibly an antihypertensive drug may be prescribed.

Buzzing: a form of presbycusis

In the majority of people, these auditory sensations (which also include ringing and crackling) are not attributable to any particular cause. They may, however, be a reflection of a disorder of the inner ear, due to its failing vascularization with age.

What to do ? They do not heal but your ENT can direct you to a white noise generator that will mask them.

Hiccup: a story of nerves

These involuntary contractions of the diaphragm are benign when they are punctual. But when they last more than forty-eight consecutive hours, we suspect a dysfunction in the phrenic nerve. Some brain tumors or vascular problems can also trigger them.

What to do ? you must consult to find the cause. Once the diagnosis of serious illness has been ruled out, the doctor may prescribe neuroleptics or antidepressants.

Jaw crunches: the trail of dental failures

They result from a dysregulation of the temporomandibular joint, articulation between the mandible, bone which forms the lower jaw, and the skeleton of the skull. Articular disorders, including poor occlusion (incorrect alignment of upper and lower teeth) or the absence of certain teeth, are often responsible for this.

What to do ? Your dentist or stomatologist will provide the necessary care and may recommend that you wear a dental splint.

Toothache: a consequence of stress

Also called bruxism, these jaw rubs against each other usually occur during sleep and can cause headaches in the morning. They are linked to stress and anxiety or to a lack of dental occlusion.

What to do ? Using relaxation techniques, like sophrology or hypnosis, is often effective, if the "trigger" is not physiological.

Snoring: the possibility of sleep apnea

As painful for the partner as it is exhausting for the patient, the ronchopathy often finds its source in a nasal obstruction (because of a deviation of the nasal septum, allergies or a chronic sinusitis) or in the sleep apnea syndrome.

What to do ? See your ENT to adopt the appropriate therapy (anti-inflammatory, nasal retractor, etc.). If sleep apnea is confirmed after polysomnographic recordings, wearing a positive pressure respirator may be required.

Sneezing: looking for allergies

When they occur in bursts, these reflexes of defense to the irritation of the nasal mucous membranes indicate an allergy.

What to do ? A test to see which allergen you are reacting to. The treatment goes through antihistamines.

Thanks to Dr. Patrick Gepner, Rheumatologist and author of Human body for dummies (First ed).

Read also:

⋙ I sleep apnea, what solutions?

⋙ Hypertension: How to control your own tension at home?

⋙ Tinnitus: 5 essential tips to relieve them