Stridor

Also known as: noisy breathing.

What is stridor?

Stridor is the medical term for noisy breathing. It’s common in children and typically has a high-pitched sound.
 

What causes stridor?

Partial narrowing in the area of the voice box causes stridor. This may occur as a result of allergies, injuries, other medical conditions creating inflammation in this area, or medical procedures or certain surgeries in this region of the upper airway.
 

What are the symptoms of stridor?

Along with the high-pitched sound when breathing in, children with stridor may have difficulty breathing, a rapid rate of breathing, or retractions of the skin above the collar bones or else directly under the rib cage. 
 

What are stridor care options?

Stridor is a medical emergency and must be treated quickly to prevent the airway from closing. In some cases, a tube must be inserted to help the patient breathe. Medications and surgery are needed to relieve stridor in some instances.

Reviewed by: John M Peters, DO

This page was last updated on: March 20, 2019 04:07 PM