How much should i worry about stridor?

Quite a bit: True stridor means between 10-20% of the airway is open; seek care an in an emergency room with access to an ICU immediately. The source of stridor should be located and treated, and (frequently) the patient will need to have a breathing tube placed in order to avoid dying.

A lot...: True stridor is considered a medical emergently since it represents an airway which is closing. If a patient truly has strider, 911 should be called and the person taken immediately to the nearest er. A tube may need to be placed in the airway so that artificial ventilation can be done while the etiology is diagnosed and treated. Stridor can be life-threatening and even fatal.

Different in kids: Stridor is caused by obstruction of the windpipe at or just below the vocal cords. In children typical causes are croup, larygospasm as in anaphylaxis or hereditary angioedema, vocal cord dysfunction or an aspirated foreign body. Immediate emergency evaluation is mandatory to avoid death. Croup, the most common cause, usually responds to medication but intubation is sometimes necessary.

Consult physician: Stridor is not normal noise for airway. It can be acute or chronic. You should contact physician for examination and work up of stridor. Acute stridor usually related to infection, foreign body, or trauma. Chronic stridor can be related to laryngeal tumor, extrinsic pressure from tumor, granulomatous infection such as TB, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.