Home Care:

Follow your doctor's advice to treat the cause of the problem.

See also: Choking

Call your health care provider if:

Stridor may be a sign of an emergency. Call your health care provider right away if there is unexplained stridor, especially in a child.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

In an emergency, the health care provider will check the person's temperature, pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure, and may need to do the Heimlich maneuver.

A breathing tube may be needed if the person can't breathe properly.

After the person is stable, the health care worker may ask questions about the patient's medical history, and perform a physical exam. This includes listening to the lungs.

Parents or caregivers may be asked the following medical history questions:

• Is the abnormal breathing a high-pitched sound?
• Did the breathing problem start suddenly?
• Could the child have put something in the mouth?
• Has the child been ill recently?
• Is the child's neck or face swollen?
• Has the child been coughing or complaining of a sore throat?
• What other symptoms does the child have? (For example, nasal flaring or bluish color to the skin, lips, or nails)
• Is the child using chest muscles to breathe (intercostal retractions)?

Tests that may be done include:

• Arterial blood gas analysis
• Bronchoscopy
• CT scan, thoracic
• Laryngoscopy (examination of the voice box)
• Pulse oximetry to measure blood oxygen level
• X-ray of the chest or neck