Which condition is characterized by wheezing and difficulty exhaling?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways that significantly affects breathing. It is characterized by episodes of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. The hallmark of asthma is the difficulty in exhalation, which occurs as a result of bronchoconstriction and inflammation leading to narrowed airways. During an asthma attack, the smooth muscles around the airways tighten, and excess mucus production can occur, further obstructing airflow out of the lungs.

Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing, especially evident during exhalation when the narrowed airways make it harder for air to move out of the lungs. This combination of wheezing and difficulty exhaling makes asthma distinct from conditions like pneumonia, which typically presents with productive cough and fever, or pulmonary embolism, which is characterized more by sudden-onset shortness of breath and chest pain rather than wheezing specifically. Lung cancer may cause respiratory symptoms, but it often presents with a more complex set of symptoms that vary widely depending on the type and location of the tumor, rather than the clear-cut wheezing and exhalation difficulty seen in asthma.