I have asthma, and I take singulair, advair, allegra, and rhinocort. Lately, I have been feeling more chest tighness. No coughing or wheezing, but when I breathe out, a really raspy sound comes out, and I can feel it in my chest. It almost sounds like a very faint roll of thunder. This has been occuring on and off for several weeks, but has happened before, but not enough to ask about. I can't make an appointment with the dr. right now, and the nurses won't return my call. They are always so jam-packed, its cray. If anyone knows what this could be, please respond.

It sounds like what I would call an 'expiratory crackle'. When you are listening with a stethoscope sometimes you can hear kind of popping gurgling rumbling noises, they're called harsh crackles, and are usually from gunk like secretions that have pooled in the lungs and are bubbling and moving around when you breathe.

Do they go away when you cough?

no, it doesn't go away when I cough. It doesn't sound like that though, it's more like a wind tunnel type sound, but not very clear sounding. I dunno, but it isn't quite normal.

Could be a wheeze too.

Wheezes aren't always high-pitched, but at that point the terminology gets kind of blurry.

There's rhonchi, and rales, and wheezes, and all I know is I'd call low-pitched wheezes just that -- low-pitched wheezes.

But no matter which way you shake it -- it isn't a good thing. It's a good thing you're trying to make an appointment with your doctor, because this is serious.

Thanks! I didn't know that. Very helpful. I have never really had wheezes unless it gets really really bad. Probably because my airways are so blocked...LOL! Anyways, I finally got an emergency appointment for tomorrow, but I may have to visit the ER tonight. I danced tonight, and ever since, I have gotten really bad. YUck! I'm alright now, but after the meds. go away, I'll probably go in for a treatment.

If your airways are so blocked that you don't get wheezes, that's a sign you should be in the Emergency room, because it means decently large airways are 100% obstructed. Not A Good Thing.

well, that is true, because only when it gets really bad, I hear wheezes, and then after a while if it does not improve, there is nothing, but I'm usually on my way to th ER. Thanks!