Bradipnea, when breathing is slowed down and abnormal

The respiratory rate is the number of breaths you take per minute. This size can be influenced by a person's age to the physical activity undertaken. When you have bradipnea, your breathing rate becomes lower than the average normal respiratory rate. This condition could endanger your life. Therefore, it is important to know the causes and symptoms of bradipnea below.

What is bradipnea?

Bradyipnea is a condition where your breathing rate drops and slows down, so your total breaths per minute are well below the normal average. Bradipnea is a condition that can signal the presence of another disease condition that you should be aware of.

This condition generally occurs when you are sleeping or waking up. However, bradipnea is different from sleep apnea (breathing stops briefly while sleeping) or dyspnea (shortness of breath or shortness of breath).

The process of breathing involves many organs in the body, not only the respiratory tract. The brain stem also plays a role in controlling breathing by sending signals to the spinal cord to the muscles in charge of carrying oxygen to the lungs. Then, the blood vessels are in charge of checking the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood to match the respiratory rate.

According to experts from John Hopkins Medicine, the normal respiratory rate in adults ranges from 12-16 breaths per minute. With strenuous activity, the normal respiratory rate can increase to 45 breaths per minute.

Meanwhile, according to doctors from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the normal respiratory rate in babies is 40 breaths per minute and can slow down to 20 breaths per minute while sleeping. If the respiratory rate is below or more than the prescribed number and occurs when you are not doing any activity, this could be a sign of a medical problem with your body.

What are the triggers and causes of slower breathing?

Bradyipnea, which generally occurs when sleeping or waking up, can be caused by several conditions, such as:

1. Using opioids

Opioids are painkillers that cause high levels of addiction. This substance is often abused so that its use in some countries is not allowed. Opioids affect the receptors in the brain, so they can slow down the respiratory rate.

The side effects can be life-threatening and cause breathing to stop completely, especially in people who have sleep apnea obstructive and pulmonary disease. Some of the opioids that are often abused are morphine, heroin, codeine, hydrocone, and oxycodone. The risk of side effects is greater if this medicine is used in combination with cigarettes, alcohol, or sedatives.

2. Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in the body, which has many important functions, one of which is producing hormones. Hypothyroidism is a disorder of the thyroid gland that causes hormone production to become underactive.

As a result, hormone levels decrease and can slow down various processes in the body, including breathing. This condition can weaken the respiratory muscles and cause the oxygen capacity in the lungs to decrease. It can cause bradipnea.

3. Poisoning

Poisoning from certain substances can affect processes in the body, one of which slows down breathing. One of the substances that interfere with breathing is sodium zide, a chemical used in the oil airbags car to inflate.

This substance is also found in pesticides and explosives. If inhaled in certain amounts, these chemicals can slow down the central nervous system and cardiovascular system and cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting and headaches.

There is also carbon monoxide poisoning, which is a gas produced from combustion or vehicle fumes. This gas can be inhaled and mixed in the blood causing decreased oxygen levels, headaches and dizziness, coma, and failure to breathe.

4. Head injury and other conditions

Getting an injury to the head, to be precise in the brain stem area (lower head) can cause bracardi (decreased heart rate) as well as bradipnea. Usually head injuries often occur as a result of being hit by a sharp object, falling, or having an accident.

In addition, people with pneumonia, pulmonary edema, chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, Guillain-Barré syndrome or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also have symptoms of decreased respiratory rate.

What are the symptoms of bradipnea?

Apart from shortness of breath, other symptoms of bradipnea depend on the cause and the trigger. The following symptoms accompanying bradipnea can appear:

• Opioid abuse can show symptoms in the form of sleep disturbances, nervousness, nausea, constipation, and slow breathing.
• Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue, over sensitivity to cold, weight gain, constipation, depression, muscle aches, rough skin, and pain and numbness in the hands and fingers.
• If bradipnea is caused by poisoning, you may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, vision loss, and seizures.
• An injury to the head can cause temporary memory loss, confusion, dazedness, difficulty remembering, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, and nausea and vomiting.

Breath that slows down suddenly can be life threatening. Therefore, it is important to contact a doctor immediately if you experience the symptoms mentioned above. You can check your symptoms here.

How to treat bradipnea?

If your breathing rate feels slower than usual, get checked out by a doctor immediately. You will likely undergo a physical exam and have your pulse, temperature, and blood pressure checked. Treatment and treatment will be determined after the diagnosis of the disease is known.

In an emergency situation, patients with slow respiratory rates should receive prompt treatment, such as:

• Patients addicted to opioids or overdose are required to undergo rehabilitation, therapy, and take the drug naloxone to reduce opioid poisoning.
• Treatment of poisoning can be in the form of oxygen support, medication, and monitoring of vital organs.
• Patients with head injuries should receive further surgery, treatment and care.
• Patients with hypothyroidism should receive daily medication to reduce symptoms.