Tracheomalacia Quiz
Check your symptoms and
find possible causes with AI for free
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Tracheomalacia test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Have wheezing
Shortness of breath
Skin pale
Cough
Poor feeding
Phlegm
Wake up because of cough
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is Tracheomalacia?
Tracheomalacia literally translates to floppy airway (trachea) and happens when the tissues of the airway instead of being rigid and stiff, are weak and floppy, causing breathing difficulties. This can be due to intrinsic issues with tissues (cartilage) of the windpipe (trachea) itself or due to something in the chest pushing on the airway such as a blood vessel. As there are highly variable severities and types of tracheomalacia, the symptoms vary greatly as well.
Typical Symptoms of Tracheomalacia
- Wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing
- Child's skin turns pale or blue after crying
- Bluish or pale skin
- Unable to gain weight
- Difficulty breathing
- Cough
- Choking while eating
- Child refuses to eat
Diagnostic Questions for Tracheomalacia
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Do you experience wheezing or whistling sounds when breathing?
- Does the child's skin turn pale or blue when crying?
- Do you have any bluish or pale skin?
- Is your weight gain slower than others your age?
- Are you experiencing difficulty breathing?
Treatment of Tracheomalacia
Most of the time, no intervention is required as many children with this condition may grow out of it but symptomatic support can be provided by humidified air, inhaled medications, and supportive care. Babies with tracheomalacia must be closely monitored during respiratory infections. Surgery is rarely needed.
Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
Content updated on Jul 30, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
Tell your friends about us.
We would love to help them too.
Think you might have
Tracheomalacia?
Try a symptom check testHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Tracheomalacia quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Whistling when I breathe
- Respiratory wheeze
- Numbness in fingers
- Loud breathing
- Stridor
- Pale skin
- Cold hands
- Shortness of breath when lying down
- Cold hands and feet
- Breathing out is easy but breathing in is difficult
- Finger joint pain
- Circulation issues in hands
- Wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath
- Fingers turn blue
- Discoloration of fingers or toes
See full list
Symptoms Related to Tracheomalacia
Diseases Related to Tracheomalacia
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Kojima Y, Takeyabu K, Kimura M, Matunaga A, Arisato H, Ohata Y, Sato M. Tracheomalacia. QJM. 2021 Nov 13;114(9):673-674. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hcab170. PMID: 34129045.
https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/114/9/673/6299413Kugler C, Stanzel F. Tracheomalacia. Thorac Surg Clin. 2014 Feb;24(1):51-58. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2013.09.003. PMID: 24295659.
https://thoracic.theclinics.com/retrieve/pii/S1547412713001187Kamran A, Jennings RW. Tracheomalacia and Tracheobronchomalacia in Pediatrics: An Overview of Evaluation, Medical Management, and Surgical Treatment. Front Pediatr. 2019 Dec 12;7:512. doi: 10.3389/fped.2019.00512. PMID: 31921725; PMCID: PMC6922019.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2019.00512/full