As we mentioned, there can be many and varied causes that lead a person to have tachypnea. However, among the most significant are asthma, lung diseases such as emphysema, meningitis, lung-type infections such as pneumonia or even some pathology related to the heart.
Tachypnea is the name for the increased rate or rhythm of breathing. This frequency refers to the number of breaths (inhalations and exhalations) that a person takes in a given period of time. The nervous system is in charge of regulating this rhythm, which is usually measured in number of breaths per minute. Tachypnea occurs when the number of breaths per minute exceeds the value considered normal depending on the subject’s age and state of rest or activity. If the rhythm, on the other hand, is lower than normal, it is called bradypnea.
For adults, it is argued that the normal respiratory rate is between 12 and 20 breaths per minute. This number can reach 45 breaths per minute when the person is performing moderate-intensity physical activity, and even exceed 60 breaths per minute in the case of athletes subjected to great effort. These values reveal that tachypnea is diagnosed if an adult at rest or doing light physical exercise exceeds 20 breaths per minute. Tachypnea occurs when the individual breathes shallowly and too quickly. This phenomenon can be due to different types of diseases that the doctor must diagnose and treat. Transient tachypnea of the newborn is known as a disorder that occurs when fetal pulmonary edema persists after birth. This can cause a tachypnea of up to 160 breaths per minute, when it is usual for newborns not to exceed 60 breaths per minute. In the case of babies, it is convenient to know other particularities in this regard, such as the following:
– It is considered that there is 1% of babies who suffer from it.
-As a general rule, it is more frequent in boys than in girls.
-The main reason why it appears in babies is that they have fluid in what are the lungs. It is a liquid that is retained in this part of the body during pregnancy, but is eliminated during childbirth. However, there are little ones who cannot put an end to it the moment they come into the world.
– As a general rule, tachypnea usually lasts a maximum of three days and usually appears shortly after birth.
– Normally it does not involve excessive danger and to have the best safety guarantees, what will be done is to keep the baby hospitalized for a few days.
