Medicine refers to increased oxygen demand in humans as tachypnea. The reasons and causes why tachypnea occurs vary. Acute tachypnea, if diagnosed and treated too late, can bring complications as well as late effects.
What is tachypnea?
Before the medical professional begins treatment and therapy, he or she must be aware of the cause of tachypnea. However, it is important that oxygen be administered immediately. Tachypnea is the craving for more oxygen. Characteristic is an increased respiratory rate of the patient. Experts refer to acute tachypnea when the patient takes more than 20 breaths per minute. During the frequency determination (how many breaths per minute), the patient must not perform any strenuous activity. It is important that the physician clarifies the cause of the tachypnea to avoid any complications or late effects. Likewise, clarification of the cause, for the further course of treatment, is essential.
Causes
Several different factors are responsible for tachypnea. Essential is the exertion of the patient. Increased respiratory rate occurs mainly due to a high level of exertion of the body. However, a high level of exertion is not the only reason; the psyche can also trigger tachypnea. Many people, after a traumatic experience, suffer from tachypnea. But not only traumas, but also pathological causes, cause increased respiratory rate. Spontaneous fever can also cause tachypnea. For each rising degree, the respiratory rate increases by seven breaths – per minute. Therefore, it is important that sauna lovers also pay attention to their breathing rate again and again, during the sauna visit. The heart weakness (cardiac insufficiency) or even very heavy blood loss also trigger tachypnea. In both components, the circulatory system suffers from an undersupply of blood. For this reason, an undersupply of oxygen occurs and tachypnea develops. Another cause is malignant tumors. However, these trigger tachypnea in only a few cases.
Diseases with this symptom
- SIRS
- Milk protein allergy
- Hypoxia
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- Pneumonia
- Chronic bronchitis
Diagnosis and course
The patient can avoid complications and late effects only if the medical professional diagnoses and treats tachypnea in time. To diagnose tachypnea, the medical professional can use various diagnostic procedures. First and foremost, the attending physician examines the patient’s blood. During the blood test, the physician determines how high the blood gas levels are. Here he recognizes how high the oxygen or carbon dioxide in the blood is. In addition to a blood test in the laboratory, there is also the possibility of an apparative diagnosis. Here the physician makes the diagnosis by means of an electrocardiogram. With the help of the electrocardiogram, the physician is able to detect any cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac arrhythmias always occur when the heart is confronted with an undersupply. The undersupply usually occurs when the body receives too little oxygen. Furthermore, the physician can take a chest X-ray and rule out or confirm pneumonia – another cause of tachypnea. If the patient suffers from acute tachypnea, in the initial stage the patient complains of inner restlessness as well as pressure on the chest. Also, the patient suffers from disturbances of consciousness as well as sweating.
Complications
An increased respiratory rate or tachypnea occurs, for example, due to physical exertion. However, this subsides again after a few minutes and does not entail any further complications. Psychogenically induced tachypnea can lead to increased exhalation of carbon dioxide. This results in increased excretion of acids from the body and an increase in blood pH. As a result, calcium in the blood binds to proteins. This can then result in cramps, leading to a typical pawing of the extremities. In addition, the lack of CO2 in the blood causes the cerebral vessels to close, so that the brain is no longer supplied with sufficient blood, which can lead to dizziness or even a fainting spell.Another cause of increased respiratory rate is fever in the context of an infectious disease. In the worst case, the infection can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis). In that case, the pathogens spread with the bloodstream and spread throughout the person. This can lead to septic shock, whereby multiple organs can die and this can be life-threatening for the person. In addition, heart weakness (cardiac insufficiency) can trigger cardiac arrhythmias. These include atrial fibrillation or ventricular fibrillation. These can quickly lead to circulatory arrest if left untreated, eventually resulting in cardiac death.
When should you see a doctor?
Only when symptoms appear over the course of one or more days is medical consultation generally advised. The increase in respiratory rate is due to an increased demand for oxygen. This, in turn, is the result of another underlying disease that should be professionally diagnosed and treated. Even if seemingly simple colds lead to prolonged tachypnea, it is advisable to consult a physician. The doctor will monitor the course of the disease and any deterioration in the patient’s condition. As soon as the acute illness is overcome, the respiratory rate usually returns to normal. If this does not occur, another consultation is necessary. Short-term tachypneic states are usually harmless. In particular, if the increased respiratory rate is due to stress, other environmental factors, or psychogenic causes, a doctor’s visit is not necessary. The transition to stress-induced hyperventilation is sometimes fluid and should be monitored. If tachypnea occurs more frequently in connection with psychological stress, a visit to a psychiatrist or psychologist can serve to clarify whether there is a deeper-lying impairment, for example, in stress management or in the form of an anxiety disorder. Also, the clustered combination with other symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, cold sweats, rapid heartbeat or high blood pressure should be presented to a doctor.
Treatment and therapy
Before starting treatment and therapy, the medical professional must be aware of the cause of tachypnea. However, it is important that oxygen be administered immediately. If acute tachypnea is already in an advanced stage, surgical treatment is often the only way to help the patient. If there is an underlying disease that triggers the tachypnea, the physician thus treats the cause and not the symptom. This means that the patient is prescribed analgesics. By giving analgesics, it is possible that the patient’s pain is relieved. Likewise, it also relieves the patient’s anxiety and inner restlessness. Analgesics also have an effect on the respiratory center of the patient. Another treatment possibility takes place with the preparation cortisone. With the unfolding of the preparation in the bronchial tubes of the patient, any inflammations can be cured relatively quickly.
Outlook and prognosis
In tachypnea, the outlook for recovery is generally positive. If the cause of the increased respiratory rate is treated comprehensively, normal respiratory tone will return after some time. Tachypnea itself can be treated with breathing exercises and medications and then usually resolves over the course of a few days or weeks. The prognosis is worsened by any complications, such as those that may occur as a result of chronic oxygen deficiency or hyperventilation. Typical are disturbances of consciousness and sweating. Rarely, there is also severe inner restlessness and the formation of anxiety disorders. If the tachypnea is based on a heart or lung disease, this must first be treated. The outlook is based on how well the treatment measures work and how severe the tachypnea is. A severely excessive respiratory rate can complicate surgical procedures and other treatment measures, and thus also reduce the prospect of a full recovery. Moreover, a permanent undersupply or oversupply of oxygen can lead to cardiac arrhythmias and subsequently to a heart attack. Rapid and comprehensive treatment is therefore essential for a positive prognosis.
Prevention
There is no direct prevention of acute tachypnea.It is important to keep an eye on any diseases and causes that promote acute tachypnea. If the attending physician diagnoses asthma, it is advisable for the patient to comply with the prescribed therapy. This means that he takes his medication regularly so that he avoids tachypnea. In case of a cold as well as flu, it is also important that the patient takes antipyretic medication. In this way, the patient acts preventively against acute tachypnea. Since acute tachypnea also always occurs after high stress and exertion, rest periods as well as breaks after high stress are essential.
What you can do yourself
There is not really a direct prevention against acute tachypnea. Prevention is more directed at the underlying causes. If asthma is diagnosed on the part of the physician, the patient should comply with the prescribed therapy. To prevent tachypnea, prescribed medications should be taken regularly. If tachypnea occurs during a cold, fever-reducing measures should be taken to prevent dyspnea. In addition to any prescribed medications, the affected person has the option of resorting to numerous home remedies. These include leg or calf wraps, vinegar stockings, but also drinking hot teas, which promote sweat production and thus stimulate the body’s defenses. Because acute tachypnea usually occurs during physical exertion or high levels of exertion, rest or sufficient relaxation periods after high levels of exertion are elementary in order to avoid the occurrence of symptoms. In general, a healthy lifestyle with plenty of exercise is recommended to avoid diseases that promote tachypnea. If the symptoms occur in connection with psychological stress, relaxation exercises are recommended for those affected in order to reduce the respiratory rate again. Changing the environment to a relaxed atmosphere can also provide relief.
