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Rapid shallow breathing

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• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Tachypnea; Breathing - rapid and shallow; Fast shallow breathing; Respiratory rate - rapid and shallow

Definition:

A normal breathing rate for an adult at rest is 8 to 16 breaths/minute. For an infant, a normal rate is up to 44 breaths/minute. Tachypnea is a medical term that your doctor would use to describe your breathing if it is too fast, particularly if you have rapid, shallow breathing due to an associated lung disease or other medical cause.

In contrast, the term hyperventilation is usually used if you are taking rapid, deep breaths because of anxiety or panic. The terms may be used interchangeably, however.

Common Causes:

Shallow, rapid breathing has many potential medical causes. A partial list includes:

• Asthma
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chest pain
• Pneumonia or other lung infection
• Pulmonary embolism
• Transient tachypnea of the newborn

• Review Date: 11/13/2006
• Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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