Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisWhen to Call a ProviderTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
When to Call a Provider
Treatment
Tachypnea, or tachypneic breathing, is fast, shallow breathing. Some people with tachypnea may feel significantly short of breath, while others may not have any noticeable symptoms at all. Tachypnea is not normal, even during exercise.
This kind of breathing can be due to various imbalances in the body, certain medications, or health conditions ranging from anemia and asthma to heart failure and lung cancer.
This article looks at the potential causes of tachypnea, as well as the medical conditions in which it may occur.
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What Does Tachypnea Feel Like?
When you have tachypnea, your breathing can feel rapid and shallow. You may also have other symptoms, such as:
Tachypnea may also occur without any obvious symptoms. This is common when it is related to conditions like:
Tachypnea in Newborns
A condition called transient tachypnea is sometimes seen in newborn babies. They will take more than 60 breaths per minute and may make grunting sounds with each breath.
You may also notice that the ribs appear to suck in with each breath.
Transient tachypnea usually resolves on its own within a few days after birth.
Tachypnea vs. Hyperpnea vs. DyspneaThese similar terms all relate to breathing, but have very different definitions:Tachypnea:Rapid, shallow breathing possibly due to an underlying medical causeHyperpnea:Rapid, deep breathing when healthy people exerciseDyspnea:Thesensationof shortness of breath, which can occur with a normal, high, or a low breathing rate, as well as a shallow or deep breathing pattern
Tachypnea vs. Hyperpnea vs. Dyspnea
These similar terms all relate to breathing, but have very different definitions:Tachypnea:Rapid, shallow breathing possibly due to an underlying medical causeHyperpnea:Rapid, deep breathing when healthy people exerciseDyspnea:Thesensationof shortness of breath, which can occur with a normal, high, or a low breathing rate, as well as a shallow or deep breathing pattern
These similar terms all relate to breathing, but have very different definitions:
Causes of Tachypnea
There are both physiological causes of tachypnea and pathological causes.
Physiological Causes
A physiological cause refers to the body’s normal ability to correct an abnormal condition. Tachypnea is not in itself an abnormal bodily response. Rather, it is a normal response to something abnormal happening in the body.
In these examples, tachypnea is not abnormal. Instead, it is how the body compensates for an abnormality.
Can Emotions Cause Tachypnea?Yes. You may have shallow, rapid breathing as a reaction to anxiety or fear.
Can Emotions Cause Tachypnea?
Yes. You may have shallow, rapid breathing as a reaction to anxiety or fear.
Conditions That May Result in Tachypnea
A wide range of medical conditions can result in tachypnea. These may include:
In people who are hospitalized, tachypnea can be a sign that pneumonia is developing. This symptom often occurs before other obvious signs of pneumonia.
Diagnosing Tachypnea
The diagnosis of tachypnea will vary depending age, other medical problems, current medications, and other symptoms. Some diagnostic tools may include:
Anormal respiratory ratecan vary depending on age and activity. For most adults, it is usually between 12 and 20 breaths per minute while at rest.
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
How Tachypnea Is Treated
Treatment for tachypnea depends on the underlying cause.
If your tachypnea is due to pneumonia or another respiratory infection, resolving the infection should put a stop to the tachypnea. This may entailantibioticsif the infection is bacterial, and supportive care if the infection is viral.
Summary
Tachypnea describes abnormally rapid breathing. It is not the same as dyspnea, where you feel as if you’re not getting enough air.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fernandes CJ, Luppino Assad AP, Alves-Jr JL, Jardim C, de Souza R.Pulmonary embolism and gas exchange.Respiration. 2019;98(3):253-262. doi:10.1159/000501342Sava J, Beyene R.Acid-base disorders. In: Salim A, Brown C, Inaba K, Martin M, eds.Surgical Critical Care Therapy. Springer, Cham; 2018:489-500. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_50National Library of Medicine.Rapid shallow breathing.Bollam RR, Zaidi SAA, Saleem K.Tachypnea in a patient with severe anemia. In:Rapid Response Events in the Critically Ill-E-Book: A Case-Based Approach to Inpatient Medical Emergencies.2022:105.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory rate.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Fernandes CJ, Luppino Assad AP, Alves-Jr JL, Jardim C, de Souza R.Pulmonary embolism and gas exchange.Respiration. 2019;98(3):253-262. doi:10.1159/000501342Sava J, Beyene R.Acid-base disorders. In: Salim A, Brown C, Inaba K, Martin M, eds.Surgical Critical Care Therapy. Springer, Cham; 2018:489-500. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_50National Library of Medicine.Rapid shallow breathing.Bollam RR, Zaidi SAA, Saleem K.Tachypnea in a patient with severe anemia. In:Rapid Response Events in the Critically Ill-E-Book: A Case-Based Approach to Inpatient Medical Emergencies.2022:105.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory rate.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Fernandes CJ, Luppino Assad AP, Alves-Jr JL, Jardim C, de Souza R.Pulmonary embolism and gas exchange.Respiration. 2019;98(3):253-262. doi:10.1159/000501342Sava J, Beyene R.Acid-base disorders. In: Salim A, Brown C, Inaba K, Martin M, eds.Surgical Critical Care Therapy. Springer, Cham; 2018:489-500. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_50National Library of Medicine.Rapid shallow breathing.Bollam RR, Zaidi SAA, Saleem K.Tachypnea in a patient with severe anemia. In:Rapid Response Events in the Critically Ill-E-Book: A Case-Based Approach to Inpatient Medical Emergencies.2022:105.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory rate.
Fernandes CJ, Luppino Assad AP, Alves-Jr JL, Jardim C, de Souza R.Pulmonary embolism and gas exchange.Respiration. 2019;98(3):253-262. doi:10.1159/000501342
Sava J, Beyene R.Acid-base disorders. In: Salim A, Brown C, Inaba K, Martin M, eds.Surgical Critical Care Therapy. Springer, Cham; 2018:489-500. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71712-8_50
National Library of Medicine.Rapid shallow breathing.
Bollam RR, Zaidi SAA, Saleem K.Tachypnea in a patient with severe anemia. In:Rapid Response Events in the Critically Ill-E-Book: A Case-Based Approach to Inpatient Medical Emergencies.2022:105.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Respiratory rate.
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