UVA doctor links wheezing to lung infection in children

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A University of Virginia pediatric pulmonologist found wheezing in children is linked to a silent lung infection.

Silent viruses do not show clear symptoms.

Rhinovirus is the cause of a common cold.

Gerald Teague says it would not cause wheezing in a healthy person.

Wheezing from rhinovirus is often confused with asthma, which leads to wrong prescriptions.

“Runny nose, sniffles, cough, sometimes, wheeze, you know, low-grade fever, go ahead and consider an antiviral approach and not give necessarily the steroids,” UVA Pediatric Pulmonologist Gerald Teague said.

Teague says they have tested different anti-viral medications that work well but are still doing control studies.

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