Cough is a nonspecific reaction to irritation anywhere from the pharynx to the lungs. Cough can be divided into acute self-limiting cough, lasting less than 3 weeks, or chronic persistent cough, which usually lasts for more than 8 weeks. Cough lasting for an intermediate period of 3-8 weeks is called subacute cough. 1  Chronic cough lasting for more than 8 weeks is common in the community.
A wheeze (formally called sibilant rhonchi in medical terminology) is a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing.For wheezes to occur, some part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed, or airflow velocity within the respiratory tree must be heightened.he differential diagnosis of wheezing is wide, and the reason for wheezing in a given patient is determined by considering the characteristics of the wheezes and the historical and clinical findings made by the examining physician.
Possibility #2 Not all asthmatics wheeze throughout an attack. Some don't wheeze at all. Sometimes lack of wheezing means they are no longer compensating so the lungs are hyper-inflated to the max and wheezing can't happen. Neither lung sounds nor O2 sats are good indicators for asthmatics. Peak- Flow meters are the best way to determine the status.