Health

What is Shallow Breathing and what are its Symptoms

Also known as tachypnea, shallow breathing is a condition that occurs when someone takes more breaths than a normal person would do at a given point in time. If someone is breathing rapidly, in that case, it is known as hyperventilation. However, as far as hyperventilation is concerned, it is generally referred to deep, rapid breaths. When it comes to an average adult, the number of breaths taken per minute ranges from 12 to 20. If someone is suffering from rapid breathing, in that case, it can be a symptom of different types of conditions like asthma, anxiety, or even infection in the lungs or cardiovascular issues. Are you experiencing such a condition? If you are, in that case, you need to rush to your doctor. If not taken care of at the earliest stage, and allowed to escalate, it can lead to something very serious.

Few symptoms which you need to look for

There are a couple of symptoms you need to be aware of. If you experience the below-mentioned conditions along with rapid breathing, in that case, you cannot afford to waste a single moment. The symptoms are as follows.

  • Lightheadedness
  • Fever
  • Just when
  • A bluish tint on your nails, gums, lips, or skin
  • Increase in rapid breaths.

If you are suffering from these conditions, along with breathing more than normal, in that case, it should raise the red flag.

What can cause such a Condition?

There are multiple different reasons which can result in rapid breathing. They are as follows

  • Infections: If you have infections in your lungs like bronchitis, it can result in difficulty in breathing. Over a period of time, this can cause rapid breathing.
  • Choking: If your airway gets completely or partially blocked when you choke. This can result in irregular or rapid breathing.
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis: This is a condition, which is found among those who have a high level of blood sugar. It happens when the body does not produce a sufficient amount of insulin, which results in the build-up of ketones acid in the body. This acid causes rapid breathing and serious respiratory issues.
  • Blood clots: One of the reasons for rapid breathing is pulmonary embolism. It can cause hyperventilation along with other conditions like coughing, chest pain, and irregular heartbeat.
  • Anxiety attacks: Rapid breathing is very common among those who are suffering from anxiety attacks. In such a condition, the heart rate increases at a tremendous speed, which results in more than normal breathing patterns.
  • Asthma: It is an inflammatory condition of the lungs. Those who are suffering from asthma would experience rapid breathing.

These are some of the different reasons which could cause rapid breathing. Apart from these, there are various other health conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and others can also be responsible for such a condition.

Deep breathing can provide relief.

If you are experiencing rapid breathing, in that case, you can get a lot of relief by practicing deep breathing. Deep breathing is a respiratory exercise, where you intake more than the usual amount of oxygen which stimulates all the important organs in the body, and allows you to exhale the harmful toxic elements stored inside.

There are millions from all over the world who are suffering from this condition. It is always advisable to get in touch with a physician, right at the early stage. The fact that it occurs due to inflammation and different types of infections, the chances are quite high that the condition would get worse if left unattended. Get in touch with a doctor, if you are facing this issue. Want to learn more about this condition? Have a look over the internet.

James Sullivan
the authorJames Sullivan