What symptoms may indicate a patient is experiencing airway obstruction?

Symptoms indicating that a patient is experiencing airway obstruction primarily include coughing and wheezing.

Coughing is a natural reflex that helps to clear the airway by expelling foreign objects or secretions, and when a person is experiencing an airway obstruction, this reflex may be triggered more frequently. Wheezing, which is a high-pitched whistling sound made while breathing, occurs when the airways are narrowed due to swelling, inflammation, or obstruction, making it more difficult for air to pass through. Both symptoms are direct indicators of respiratory distress and suggest that the airflow is being compromised, which is a critical situation requiring urgent medical attention.

While confusion and dizziness, chest pain and nausea, as well as headache and fever can point to other medical issues, they are not typically associated with isolated airway obstruction. Thus, the presence of coughing and wheezing can be considered classic signs of the problem at hand.