Respiratory rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute while at rest, which varies with age and activity level. Abnormal rates can indicate medical conditions like bradypnea, apnea, or tachypnea, which can be caused by various factors including exercise, drugs, and alcohol. Treatment options include medication, therapy, and surgery.
A respiratory rate, or respiratory rate, is the number of breaths a person takes in one minute while at rest, and can be measured by counting the number of times a person’s chest rises and falls within one minute. An individual’s normal breathing rate will change based on activity levels and age; breathing typically slows as a person ages, but it can increase during exercise or other strenuous exercise. The act of breathing is controlled by the brain, which tells the body to breathe based on the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, and certain factors, such as exercise, drugs and alcohol, can affect a person’s breathing rate. An abnormally high or low breathing rate can indicate certain medical conditions such as bradypnea, apnea, or tachypnea.
It changes with age
In most cases, a person’s normal breathing rate will change as they age; younger adults, children, and infants typically have faster breathing rates, because as people get older, their breathing usually slows down. From birth to six months of age, a baby’s normal respiratory rate is 30 to 60 breaths per minute; after six months of age, breathing typically slows to 24 to 30 breaths per minute. For children between the ages of one and five, normal breathing is 20 to 30 breaths per minute, while children between the ages of six and twelve should have a normal breathing rate ranging from 12 to 20 breaths per minute . The normal respiratory rate for adults and children over the age of 12 usually ranges from 14 to 18 breaths per minute.
Slow respiratory rate
When a person’s breathing rate is slower than normal, certain conditions can occur, such as bradypnea or apnea. Bradypnea is characterized by abnormally slow breathing and can be a symptom of a metabolic disorder or cancer. This condition can occur during sleep and can be induced through the use of opioid narcotics. Apnea often occurs when a person’s breathing stops completely and can be caused by a number of conditions depending on age; some of the common causes of apnea in babies are asthma, bronchiolitis, gastroesophageal reflux, seizures, or premature birth.
Adults may experience apnea due to cardiac arrest, asthma, suffocation, or drug overdose. Other causes of apnea that are not as common include head injuries, arrhythmias, metabolic disorders, near-drowning accidents, strokes, and other neurological disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea, a common disorder, occurs when the airways are blocked during sleep; There are many treatment options for sleep apnea, including the use of nasal decongestants, oral appliances, or positional therapy, and surgery may be required in some cases.
Fast respiratory rate
The opposite of apnea is tachypnea, or rapid breathing. A faster-than-normal breathing rate can be caused by the flu or a cold in children, and pneumonia and asthma can also cause an increased breathing rate in people of all ages. In adults, tachypnea is usually caused by asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chest pain, lung infections such as pneumonia, or pulmonary embolism.
A faster-than-normal respiratory rate can also be induced by exercise, and many people are advised to speak to a healthcare professional before starting any exercise program. Rapid breathing can also occur if a person begins to take deep, rapid breaths caused by panic or anxiety – this is called hyperventilation. The terms tachypnea and hyperventilation are often used interchangeably, although hyperventilation is characterized by deeper breathing and is usually caused by emotional distress.
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