​Symptoms and Signs – Differential Diagnosis of Noisy Breathing

​Symptoms and Signs – Differential Diagnosis of Noisy Breathing 
• Acquired abnormality (at every level of the airway): nasal polyps, hypertrophied adenoids or tonsils, foreign body, intraluminal tumors, bronchiectasis
• Compression from outside of the airway: esophageal cysts or foreign body, neoplasms, lymphadenopathy
• Congenital malformation and abnormality: vascular rings, laryngeal webs, laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, hemangiomas within the upper airway, stenoses within the upper airway, cystic fibrosis
• Infection: upper respiratory infection, peritonsillar abscess, retropharyngeal abscess, epiglottitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis
• Irritants and allergens: hyperactive airway, asthma (reactive airway disease), rhinitis, angioneurotic edema
• Neurogenic disorder: vocal cord paralysis