What is the normal breathing rate? What factors affect breathing rate?

Breathing is an activity that plays an important role in sustaining life. This is the process of supplying oxygen to maintain the functioning of the brain and other organs in the body. When breathing is affected by a disease or a certain factor, it can be detrimental to our health. So what is the normal breathing rate, when is the breathing rate abnormal?

The normal breathing rate in the subjects was different. To answer the above question, let's first find out with SignsSymptomsList what is breathing? Factors affecting breathing rate or breathing rate

What is the normal respiratory rate?

What is breathing rate?

Breathing rate (also known as respiratory rate) is a measure of the number of breaths (including inhalation and exhalation) per minute of a healthy person. Breathing is regulated and controlled by the respiratory center.

Breathing rates are monitored based on principles including:

• The subject should be allowed to rest for about 15 minutes before taking the measurement. For children, just count their breaths while they're lying still, preferably while they're sleeping.
• Make sure the subject is not using respiratory stimulants or performing other activities that affect breathing before measuring the respiratory rate.
• Have the patient lie in the most comfortable position. It is best not to let the patient know when counting breaths.
• Follow the doctor's orders to monitor the doctor's breathing and measure the breathing according to the technical process: Count the breaths in 1 minute, pay attention to the intensity and rhythm when the patient has breathing disorders or people The patient is suffering from certain medical conditions such as diabetes , respiratory disease, etc.
• Breath rate measurement results should be recorded clearly and accurately.

For accurate breath counting, rest about 15-20 minutes before

What is the normal breathing rate?

To assess a person's breathing rate as normal, the doctor will base on symptoms such as smooth breathing, regular breathing, no rapid breathing or too slow breathing...

The normal breathing rate in adults is from 16 to 20 times in 1 minute, the breathing rate is regular, the breathing amplitude is average, in the inspiration phase, the respiratory rate is stronger, so the inhalation time is longer than the exhalation time.

In children, the respiratory rate varies with age, specifically:

• In the neonatal period, the infant's breathing rate averages 40-60 times/minute.
• Children under 6 months old, the average breathing rate is 35-40 times/minute.
• Children from 7-12 months old, normal breathing rate of children is 30-35 times/minute.
• Children from 2 to 3 years old, their breathing rate is about 20-30 times/minute.
• Children 4 - 6 years old, their normal breathing rate ranges from 20 to 25 times/minute.
• Children aged 7 - 15 years old, the normal breathing rate is 18 - 20 times/minute.

In elderly subjects, the respiratory rate from 12 to 28 breaths/minute is normal for people over 65 years old, while the normal breathing rate of subjects over 80 years old ranges from 10 - 30 times/minute.

See also:  What is the normal breathing rate of a child?

The respiratory rate index changes with age

Types of indicators in the assessment of breathing rate

To accurately assess whether your breathing is normal or abnormal, you need to monitor a number of factors:

• Breathing rate: Breathing rate in 1 minute. Based on the normal breathing rate index between the groups of subjects to assess whether the breathing rate is within the safe threshold.
• Breathing amplitude: shallow breathing or deep breathing.
• The breathing rate is even or irregular.
• Timbre of breath sounds: Wet rales, rales, wheezing, stridor, bronchial echoes, and murmurs or alveolar murmurs are reduced.
• Breathing patterns: Some pathological breathing patterns you need to watch out for are cheyne-stokes breathing, Biot breathing and Kussmaul breathing. In addition, slow breathing (less than 12 times / minute) and fast breathing (over 22 times / minute) are also breathing patterns that signal you are suffering from a certain disease.

Count the child's breathing to assess the child's breathing

Factors affecting breathing rate

Respiratory center

The respiratory center is located in the pons and the medulla oblongata, contains many gray nuclei that control most of the activities of respiration, including breathing, which is controlled by the brain nuclei in the respiratory center located in the medulla oblongata and medulla oblongata. pontine.

The respiratory center regulates breathing through centrifugal nerves to respiratory muscles such as diaphragm, intercostal muscles, etc. to perform inhalation and exhalation.

Under normal conditions, the respiratory center paces to maintain a rhythmic and regular breathing. Some disorders in the pons and medulla, such as pontine infarction, will affect the respiratory center and lead to breathing disturbances.

CO2 and O2 levels in the blood

The concentration of gases in the blood is also one of the factors affecting breathing rate, namely:

• Increased concentration of CO2 in the blood will stimulate the respiratory control center to increase breathing rate.
• The concentration of O2 in the blood decreases to less than 60 mmHg, causing stimulation of the respiratory center initially causing deep breathing, then increasing the breathing rate and increasing the breathing amplitude.

Nerve No. X

Nerve number X plays an intermediary role in maintaining 2 activities of respiration including inhalation and exhalation, thereby helping to maintain and regulate the regular rhythm of respiration.

When something stimulates the X nerve suddenly, it can lead to respiratory arrest or the scientific name is Vagal shock.

Nervous centers

The nerve centers to mention are the swallowing center and the hypothalamus. These centers also more or less affect breathing.

When the swallowing center is stimulated, it will inhibit respiratory activity, so when we swallow, our respiratory system temporarily stops working.

On the other hand, environmental temperature affects more or less the hypothalamus, which in turn will also cause effects on respiratory activity to help regulate body temperature. When the body temperature increases, it means that the heat loss through respiration increases and thereby increases the respiratory rate and vice versa.

Cortical

The cerebral cortex plays an important role in our mental and emotional functioning. Emotional, psychological changes can lead to changes in breathing. Studies show that: Emotions of joy and anxiety increase breathing, and emotions of frustration, depression, and gloom can decrease breathing.

Breathing rate is one of the important indicators to help assess the health status of the body. Hopefully the information that SignsSymptomsList shared in this article can help readers better understand the normal breathing rate index as well as the factors that lead to breathing changes. Don't forget to follow the pharmacy's health corner to keep up to date with the latest information!