What abnormal breathing sound may indicate fluid accumulation?

Rales, also known as crackles, are abnormal lung sounds that often indicate the presence of fluid in the airways or alveoli. These sounds can be heard during inhalation and are typically associated with conditions such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure, or pulmonary edema, where fluid accumulation occurs in the lungs. The presence of fluid affects the airflow in the respiratory system, resulting in the characteristic crackling sound.

In comparison, wheezes are high-pitched sounds that arise from narrowed airways and are commonly associated with conditions like asthma or bronchitis. Stridor is a harsh, grating sound typically heard during inhalation that may indicate obstructions in the upper airway, rather than fluid accumulation in the lungs. Grunting is a sound made during exhalation that can suggest respiratory distress, but it doesn't specifically indicate fluid in the lungs. Each of these other sounds provides important clinical information; however, rales are the sound most directly linked to fluid in the respiratory system.