Shallow Breathing

Shallow breathing, also known as hypopnea, is a condition, wherein a person draws minimal breath in the lungs using a group of muscles that run between the ribs (intercostal muscles) instead of the diaphragm. Sometimes, it may lead to rapid breathing and hyperventilation.

There are a number of reasons for this condition. They are:

Asthma is the most common cause of shallow rapid breathing. In asthma, the lungs get inflamed. As the lungs are affected, you cannot breathe properly and deeply. This leads to breathing through the chest, as the lungs have lost the capacity to be used to the fullest.

Another condition, although a serious one, is pulmonary edema which leads to this shallow and rapid breathing. In pulmonary edema, the lung is congested on account of fluid accumulation in the air sacs of the lungs. This is a very critical condition and has to be taken care of as soon as possible. An improper functioning of the heart or heart failure can cause pulmonary edema.

Chest pain can also lead to shallow breathing. Therefore, if you are experiencing a pain in the chest, you would experience difficulty in breathing.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can also be a culprit. COPD is an umbrella term for respiratory or lung diseases which involve constricted airflow and variable degree of enlargement of the air sacs.

In addition to that, inflammation of the airway and lung tissue destruction is one of the causes. Chronic bronchitis is one of the most common problems to come under the umbrella of COPD.

Pneumonia which is a type of lung inflammation and infection can also cause this condition. In pneumonia, the lungs are inflamed, and they are filled with fluid. Infection that leads to pneumonia is caused due to bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Shallow and rapid breathing can be experienced by an individual in case of extremely emotional and tense situations. This could be fear, anxiety, joy, etc. Research has established the connection between shallow breathing and anxiety.

Although some of the aforementioned causes seem intimidating, they can be taken care of, unless the situation is very serious. Shallow breathing is not incurable, and there are many options to treat it. However, the treatment will depend upon the underlying cause and its diagnosis.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.