Stridor

NYU Langone otolaryngologists—also known as ear, nose, and throat doctors, or ENTs—are experts at diagnosing stridor, or noisy breathing. Caused by a narrowed or partially blocked airway, which is the passage that connects the mouth to the lungs, stridor results in wheezing or whistling sounds. These noises may be high-pitched and audible when a person inhales, exhales, or both.

Stridor in adults is commonly caused by vocal cord paralysis; an unusual narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords called subglottic stenosis; inhaling a piece of food; or a foreign object stuck in the airway.

If noisy breathing interferes with your everyday activities, such as speaking or eating, specialists at NYU Langone’s Voice Center can develop a specialized treatment plan to open your airway and eliminate the noisy breathing.

NYU Langone doctors also diagnose and manage stridor in children.