Rapid Respiratory Rate - A Sign of Asthma Problems

Asthma is an inflammation in the lungs that narrows the airways and makes it harder for air to pass through them. It causes over a quarter million deaths each year and affects over three hundred million people around the world. Asthma is obviously a very serious issue but is one that can be controlled through the right treatment and through step down therapy. Numerous symptoms can point towards the existence of asthma and knowing them will make it easier to realize when you need to visit a physician. One important thing to watch out for is an increased respiratory rate, and its presence could be a sign that asthma is the problem at hand.

The reasons that asthma causes an increased respiratory rate are fairly obvious. When the amount of air entering your lungs with each breath is reduced, you will have to take more breaths in a shorter period of time in order to provide your body with the oxygen it needs to function properly. This means that you'll exhibit an increased respiratory rate as a result of your asthma. Taking shorter breaths more frequently is also an issue, but either way you will discover that a big boost in respiratory rates will often occur when you have asthma.

In many cases, the increased respiratory rate won't even be immediately noticed by you. It will simply occur, gradually worsening as time goes on. When your asthma flares up the increase in respiratory rates will be much more pronounced but there will likely be a steady rate that is above the norm. In most cases acute asthma will feature a breathing rate of more than twenty five breaths per minute, sometimes even more. If you've noticed that you have to breathe much more frequently in order to give yourself the air you need, you may very well be suffering from asthma.

The only way that you can be sure this is the case will be to visit a doctor, but it will take only a few simple tests to determine if your increased respiratory rate is indeed an asthma symptom. It will often be accompanied by other symptoms as well, and the appearance of multiple asthma symptoms will lend even more evidence to this theory. Your lungs are vital for healthy living, and you shouldn't make the mistake of ignoring a potential problem. If you have an increased respiratory rate, make an appointment as soon as you can.