Crackling in Lungs: Dry Cough, Meaning, Causes, Treatment

Crackling in lungs also known as rale are rattling noises made by one or both of your lungs. They often relate to a respiratory condition and can be felt when inhaling or when breathing out. You may experience crackles in your lungs when lying down. This condition can be accompanied by a dry cough. What does it mean when your lungs crackle?

The sounds can only be heard with a stethoscope in a medical examination. The article gives you insight on the causes and how you can treat this condition.

Crackling in the lungs

When occurring in both lungs, the crackles are referred to as bilateral crackles. And when originating from the base of lung, they are known as basal or basilar crackles. Lungs crackle are caused by the popping of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid, or lack of aeration during expiration.

Click On The Image For The Ultimate Fat Loss Trick For Women.

These sound are common in people with respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, bronchitis, and other intestinal lung diseases.

Crackles are more common during inspiration than expiration phase of breathing. In most case, they are associated with inflammation and infection of small bronchi, alveoli, and bronchioles. If they fail to clear after a cough, they may be a sign of pulmonary edema a condition marked with fluid in the alveoli due to heart failure.

Lung crackles can be described as fine, medium or coarse. Fine crackles can be soft, high-pitched and very brief. On the other hand, coarse crackles can be louder, lower pitched and will often last longer than fine crackles.

What does crackling in the lungs mean?

Crackling in lungs can be said to be abnormal sound heard from one or both of your lung. Most crackle generates form the base of the lungs and can only be heard with a stethoscope. The crackles will usually reflect a buildup of mucus, pus or fluids in the small airways in your lungs.

Lung crackles will often mean the presences of a respiratory condition such as pneumonia, bronchitis among others. Rales can also be a sign of serious heart condition that causes a buildup or blockage of blood flow between your heart and lung.

Lungs crackles are serious and can in time be life-threatening, urgent medical diagnosis involving your medical history, blood test, and imaging study may be required to identify and treat the underlying cause of the crackling.

Types of crackling sounds in lungs

Crackling in lungs can be categorized into four types all of which might help in the diagnosis of what the underlying cause of the crackling might be. These types are as follows:

Raleswhich can be described as rattling or bubbling sounds. They are often felt as fine and dry.
Wheezesare high-pitched sounds from narrow airways. The sounds are so high that they can be heard without a stethoscope
Stridorare similar to wheezes, they result from a narrowed or blockage d airway.
Rhonchi can be felt as light or heavy snoring. They can be felt when breathing in or out

Crackling in lungs and dry cough

A dry cough is simply a cough not accompanied by phlegm production. This is a viscous substance secreted by the mucous membrane lining your respiratory passage. It is normal form phlegm to be produced in excess when someone is suffering from a cold.

A dry cough accompanying the crackles in lung can be a symptom of a variety of health problem. For some people, this can be a result of environmental irritations such as allergies or breathing very dry, heated air.

If the dry cough becomes chronic, then it can be a sign of other condition such as influenza, whooping cough, viral infection or a side effect of heart medicine.

Crackling in the lungs when breathing out or exhaling

Crackling in lungs when exhaling is often described as a death rattle. It can, however, be caused by different condition some of which are harmless. Most often, it is normal to have the crackles when inhaling than when exhaling

Crackling sound when breathing can be a sign of pneumonia, a blockage or a congestion of liquid in the lungs. On the other hand crackling during inhalation might be a sign of asthma, bronchitis or other causes.

Urgent medical diagnosis may be required to identify what the underlying cause might be. See your doctor as soon as you notice such sound coming from both or one of your lungs.

Crackling in lungs when lying down

As mentioned, lung crackles can only be heard with a stethoscope in a medical examination. Some case of crackling can, however, be so hard making it possible to be heard even without a stethoscope.

Lung crackles when lying down can indicate a blockage of your nasal passage and airway with mucus. In such a case, your lungs are placed under increased pressure, they eventually collapse causing a condition known as atelectasis.

In such cases, the crackling may be accompanied by other symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, coughing, and a sensation of suffocation. Seek urgent medical attention if you notice any of these symptoms.

Crackling in lungs causes

Depending on the type of crackling one has, there are different respiratory condition that might be causing it. Some of the common causes include the following:

1. Bronchitis

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Most people will develop acute bronchitis after cold, this will often resolve after a day or two depending on how strong your immune system is.

Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, does not resolve without medical attention. Common symptoms will include coughing, wheezing, fatigue, shortness of breath, and chills. See your doctor if any of these symptoms take longer to clear.

2. Obstructive pulmonary disease

These are serious medical condition that requires being treated as soon as possible. Obstructive pulmonary disease such as asthma or cystic fibrosis can cause the crackling and wheezing when a person breathes. When untreated it could lead to a more severe condition such as bronchiectasis.

These diseases affect inhalation and may cause a buildup of carbon dioxide and fluids inside the lung. A continuous buildup of these products may cause scarring in the lungs which can be shown by the cracklings in both or one of your lung.

3. Intestinal lung disease

Intestinal lung diseases are those involving the air sacs and tissues in the lungs. This will include conditions such as sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions are said to cause scarring in lungs which traps fluids to cause the crackling sounds.

4. Heart failure

A heart failure resulting from the weakening of the heart muscles, a viral infection, or a genetic disorder can also cause the crackling sound in lungs. As the pumping function of the heart is impaired, blood backs up in the arteries between the heart and your lungs, increased pressure may cause the blood to leak into the lungs causing the crackling.

5. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs in both your lungs to become inflamed. When pneumonia is the cause of the crackling, you are likely to notice high fever, coughing, fatigue, headache and severe chest pains.

According to mayo clinic, antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial pneumonia. Aspirin and ibuprofen will be used to relieve the fever and chest pain. We recommend you see your healthcare provider for proper treatment and diagnosis.

6. Pulmonary edema

Pulmonary edema is caused by excess fluid in the lungs. The fluid accumulates in the air sac making it hard to breathe. A common reason for the accumulation of fluid is a heart problem but it could also be caused by other reasons such as pneumonia, trauma in chest wall, and exposure to certain toxins.

7. Pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is caused by a growth in the lungs. This condition can be shown by shortness in breathe, chest discomfort, and fatigue. Steroids and natural amino acids can be used to treat pulmonary fibrosis.

Other treatment options will include oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, and breathing support. In severe cases, a surgical procedure can be used to get rid of the growth and relieve the other symptoms.

8. Atelectasis

Atelectasis occurs when part of your lung collapses. This makes it hard to draw air in and out of the lung. This could result from a trauma, an injury or an underlying lung infection.

With this condition, treatment needs to be administered early. Treatment will involve unblocking the airway by opening up the collapsed lung.

9. Asthma

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that causes the airway to swell and produce more mucus. This is what makes it hard for a person to breathe. This condition is characterized by wheezing, difficulty in breathing, coughing and a crackling sound in lungs.

An inhaler can be used to relieve the symptoms of asthma such the coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness.

10. Lung infection

A viral infection in the lung can also lead to crackling, wheezing and coughing. The viral infection can cause the airway to become blocked, irritated and inflamed.

The crackling can be as a result of the accumulation of fluids such as mucus inside the lungs. With a lung infection, it is likely to hear the crackling even without a stethoscope.

Treatment for crackling in the lungs

Treating the crackles may vary depending on what the underlying cause is. When diagnosing the condition, your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to your breath. Though rare, the crackles can be heard without the stethoscope in severe case.

To confirm the diagnosis, he or she may need to perform a chest X-ray, blood test, a sputum test or an electrocardiogram to check for any heart irregularity. Getting rid of the crackles involves treating the underlying cause.

When the cause is a chronic lung condition, then in addition to the prescribed medication, you will need to make some lifestyle changes to control the symptoms. This includes people who smoke. Common treatment option may involve:

The use of inhaled steroid to relieve inflammation,
Oxygen therapy to help breath better and
Use of a bronchodilator to relax and open up blocked airways

Home treatment for crackling in lungs

When the crackling is accompanied by other symptoms such as back pain, wheezing or running nose, there are some effective home remedies you can use to relieve some of these symptoms. If the symptoms persist, you will need to have the underlying cause diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

You could try out the following remedies at home:

1. Steaming

Steaming is one of the great ways you can use to stop the crackling especially when it is accompanied by wheezing, block nose or congested chest. The moisture and heat will help break up and dissolve the mucus blocking your airway.

Will a basin or bowl with hot water
Add few drops or eucalyptus oil into the water
Bend, placing your face over the hot steam
To ensure no heat or moisture is lost, cover your head with a dry towel
Do this until your feel relieve

2. Ginger

Ginger is a great remedy you need to try when treating lungs crackles. Apart from boosting your immune system to speeding up the healing, it has anti-inflammatory properties and polyphenols that can help inhibit mucus production.

Chop small pieces of ginger in a glass of hot water
Cover the glass and leave it for five minutes
Add a tablespoon of raw Manuka honey and drink the mixture
You can also chew a piece or two of the ginger

3. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is also a great decongestant you can you to try and get rid of the lung crackles. This remedy works by thinning mucus, which helps relieve the congestion that might be causing the wheezing and crackling in lung. This is a great remedy when the cause of the crackling is pneumonia.

Add 2 tablespoons of organic ACV in a glass of hot water
Into the solution add a tablespoon of raw Manuka honey
Take the solution while still hot

4. Lemon

Lemon juice is also a great remedy you could you at home to get rid of the crackling. It contains citric acid that can help reduce mucus thickness. This can help to easily decongest your airways thus getting rid of the wheezing and lung crackles.

Consuming the juice will also help boost your immune system as it is rich in vitamin C. you can choose to eat a fresh lemon or squeeze and drink the juice.

5. Raw honey

Mucus blocking your airways is a common cause of wheezing and crackling when breathing. Honey can help reduce the thickness of the mucus which makes it easy to get rid of the mucus and unblock your airway thus getting rid of the crackling.

You can eat a tablespoon of raw Manuka honey
Or mix it in warm water then drink to decongest your chest

Our Sources and reference:

Crackling in Lungs, Dry Cough, Meaning, Causes, Treatment