Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Number Of Breathing Will A Person Take Each Minute

Normal Respiration


Adults normally breathe between 12 to 20 breaths per minute. Variations occur normally during breathing and may include periods of silent breathing, sighs, loud breaths and pauses. How rapidly you breathe varies according to your age, health condition, level of excitement, fitness level and other factors.


Variations in Respiration by Age


Infants up to 1 year breathe very quickly--30 to 60 breaths per minute. Toddlers, 2 to 3 years old, breathe 24 to 40 breaths per minute; preschoolers, 3 to 6 years old, 22 to 34 breaths. Children age 6 to 12 years normally breathe 18 to 30 breaths per minute and adolescents slow to 12 to 15 breaths per minute. Breathing rates for seniors generally are compared to the adult rate as most breathing rate changes for the elderly come in response to age-related disease, loss of physical fitness or other health issues rather than as a direct result of aging.


Factors that slow respiratory rates


Respiratory rate often slows after a patient has been under sedation or a general anesthetic. It can also happen as a result of overdoses of medications like barbiturates or psychotropic medications.


Factors that elevate respiratory rates


Elevated respiratory rates are often caused by exertion, a respiratory disease that slows oxygenation of the blood, poor acclimatization to high altitude, panic disorder or stress. Often the patient tends to breathe more shallowly and as a result will expend more energy just keeping up with the body's resting oxygen demand. Very sick patients breathe deeply, nosily and faster than normal. Breaths sound as if the patient is deeply sighing.


Factors that cause irregular breathing


Intracranial pressure due to disease or injury can cause irregular breathing with intermittent breath stoppage. Cheyne-stokes Respirations are small, very shallow respirations which increase in depth and speed and then decrease again ending in apnea or sudden long breath stoppages. This type of breathing is common in severely ill or dying patients.


Factors that cause shortness of breath


Difficult breathing and shortness of breath occurs frequently in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. Symptoms are not relieved even when the patient is resting. Mechanical breathing machines may be necessary to reduce the breathing workload on the patient.


Respiration stoppage


Apnea is sudden cessation of breathing. During apnea the breathing abruptly stops and there may be a period of 10 to 40 seconds during which there are no breaths taken at all. This often happens during sleep as a result of obstruction in the upper airway, especially the throat or nasal passages. Apnea can result in dramatically low blood oxygen levels and may cause death. Apnea is often controlled with mechanical ventilators, CPAP and Bi-PAP machines which help force air past obstructions or which support failing breathing musculature.









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