What is Rapid Breathing or Tachypnea?
Rapid breathing is also called tachypnea. Abnormally rapid and often shallow breathing. Rapid breathing can have causes that are not because of an underlying disease. Examples include exercise, anxiety, stress, anger, or love.
Rapid breathing is also called tachypnea. Tachypnea is defined as a high respiratory rate or, more simply, faster than normal breathing. A normal respiratory rate can vary with age and activity but is between 12 and 20 breaths per minute for a resting adult. In contrast, the term hypercapnia refers to rapid deep breathing, while tachypnea refers to rapid, shallow breathing. Let's look at the potential causes of tachypnea and the state of health in which it can occur.
What causes fast breathing?
Fast breathing or causes of tachypnea has many medical causes, such as:
- Asthma
- A blood clot in a pulmonary artery
- Suffocation
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other chronic lung diseases
- Heart failure
- Infection of the smallest air passages of the lungs in children (bronchiolitis)
- Pneumonia or other lung infection
- Transient newborn tachypnea
- Anxiety and panic
- Other serious lung diseases
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Get A Second OpinionWhat are the symptoms of rapid breathing?
- Shortness of breath or feeling breathless even at rest
- Breathing rate faster than normal (typically more than 20 breaths per minute in adults)
- Shallow breathing, where chest movement is more noticeable than abdominal movement
- Feeling like you can't get enough air
- Flaring of the nostrils while breathing
- Sweating or clammy skin
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Wheezing or noisy breathing
- Bluish tint to the lips or nails, indicating a lack of oxygen
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Anxiety or panic
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
How is tachypnea diagnosed?
The diagnosis of tachypnea will vary depending on a person's age, other medical conditions, current medications, and other symptoms, but can include:
- Oximetry: A "clip" can be placed on your finger to estimate the amount of oxygen in your blood.
- Arterial Blood Gas (ABG): Blood gasses measure the level of oxygen, carbon dioxide content, and pH of your blood. The pH can be useful in assessing metabolic abnormalities. If the pH is low (acidosis), tests may be done to look for causes such as diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, and liver problems.
- Chest x-ray: A chest x-ray can quickly determine some causes of tachypnea, such as a collapsed lung.
- Computerized chest tomography (CT): A chest computed tomography may be done to look for lung disease or tumours.
- Lung function tests: Lung function tests are very helpful in looking for conditions such as COPD and asthma.
- Glucose: Blood sugar is often done to rule out (or confirm) diabetic ketoacidosis.
- Electrolytes: Sodium and potassium levels help assess some causes of tachypnea.
- Haemoglobin: A complete blood count and haemoglobin may be done to look for signs of anaemia and infections.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrocardiogram can look for signs of a heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms.
- VQ scan: A VQ scan is often done if there is a possibility of pulmonary embolism.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): If no obvious cause of tachypnea is found, a brain MRI may help rule out brain abnormalities (such as tumours) as the cause.
- Toxicology Screening: There are many drugs, both prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal, that can cause tachypnea. Toxicology screening is often done in emergencies if the cause of the tachypnea is unknown.
What treatments are available for rapid breathing?
Treatment options vary depending on the exact cause of the breathing problems.
Lung infections
- Effective treatments for rapid, shallow breathing caused by infection include an inhaler that opens the airways, such as albuterol, and antibiotics to help clear the infection.
- Antibiotics are not helpful for some infections, however. In these cases, respiratory disease treatments open the airways and the infection goes away on its own.
Chronic conditions
- Chronic diseases, including asthma and COPD, do not go away. However, with treatment, you can minimize rapid and shallow breathing. Treatment for these conditions can include prescription drugs, inhalers, and oxygen tanks in extreme cases.
- ACD is a serious complication of diabetes and is also considered a medical emergency. Hyperventilation because diabetes requires oxygen therapy and electrolytes.
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Book an AppointmentAnxiety disorders:
If you experience rapid, shallow breathing as a symptom of an anxiety attack, your doctor will probably recommend a combination of anti-anxiety medication and medication. These drugs can include:
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- buspirone (Buspar)
- other treatments
If you are still breathing rapidly and the above treatments do not work, your doctor may prescribe beta-blocker medicine to correct your breathing, such as acebutolol, atenolol, or bisoprolol.
These drugs treat rapid, shallow breathing by neutralizing the effects of adrenaline, a stress hormone that increases heart rate and breathing.
Babies with TTN are treated with oxygen. This requires the use of breathing apparatus.
When should someone visit a doctor for rapid breathing?
Seek immediate medical attention if you:
- Experience rapid breathing for the first time
- Have bluish or grayish skin, nails, lips, or eye area
- Feel chest pain
- Develop a fever or cough with phlegm
- Notice that your symptoms are getting worse
Are there any home remedies for rapid breathing?
Rapid, shallow breathing should not be treated at home and is generally considered a medical emergency. If you have Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, use your inhalers as prescribed by your doctor. You may still need to be checked by a health care provider immediately. Your doctor will explain to you when it is important to go to the emergency room.
