to describe and identify breath sounds, medical professionals usually use auscultation (they listen with a stethoscope). they listen while the patient is breathing in, and while they are breathing out. they listen to both lungs, at both the chest and the back, starting at the bottom and working their way up. they listen to whether the pitch of the breath sounds is low, medium or high. they also listen to whether the sounds are soft, medium, loud, or very loud).