Symptoms

Symptoms of Tracheobronchomalacia (TBM)

Symptoms of both primary and acquired tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) may come on gradually, mimicking a number of other breathing disorders. Children with primary TBM may have respiratory infections more often than their peers and may take longer to recover from them.

Other symptoms of both primary and acquired TBM include:

• Coughing, especially a barking cough
• Shortness of breath
• Congestion that doesn’t clear with coughing
• Wheezing
• Frequent lower respiratory infections or inflammation
• Stridor (a noisy or high-pitched sound when breathing)
• Symptoms that worsen when lying down
• Symptoms that worsen when exercising or during periods of stress
• Symptoms that don’t respond to inhaled medications