What it means when lungs crackle and wheeze

Crackling and wheezing lungs could be the sounds of a disease progressing, according to new research.

A new study describes how the mechanics that produce those noises with every breath are likely a cause of injury and inflammation.

The findings, based on evidence from experiments on microfluidic chips and on animal models, could eventually change treatment of lung diseases, says James Grotberg, professor of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering and professor of surgery at the Medical School at the University of Michigan. They also represent a paradigm shift for how doctors understand what they hear through a stethoscope.

Here, Grotberg answers explains his research, which appears in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

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