Bronchial breath sounds are loud, harsh breathing sounds with a midrange pitch (300 to 600hz). They are normal when occurring over the trachea during exhalation. These sounds, when emanating from another location, can be an indicator of a lung issue. There are three types of abnormal bronchial breath sounds:
Tubular breath sounds are a high pitched (600 to 1,200 Hz) bronchial breath sound. Some common conditions that produce these are:
- Atelectasis: Partial or total collapse of a lung
- Consolidation: Air spaces within the lungs fill with liquid
- Pleural effusion: A buildup of fluid in the tissue surrounding the lungs
- Pulmonary fibrosis: Damage and scarring of the lung tissue
- Mediastinal tumor: A tumour in the area of the chest in between the lungs
Cavernous breath sounds are low pitched (100 to 300 Hz) bronchial breath sounds. Common conditions generating these are:
- Lung damage from bronchiectasis
- A lung abscess
- Cancerous changes
Amphoric respiration is a type of abnormal bronchial breathing that creates a strong reverberating sound with high pitched overtones. it is an indication of a cavity, cyst, bleb, or other air-containing space in the lung communicating with the bronchial system