Health Tip: When Breathing Is Rapid and Shallow

(HealthDay News) -- Tachypnea is the medical term for breathing that is abnormally rapid and shallow.

If you have the condition, the University of Maryland Medical Center says possible causes include:

  • A chronic respiratory illness, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • An infection of the lungs, such as pneumonia.
  • Chest pain.
  • A blood clot in the lung, sometimes called a pulmonary embolism.

    • Symptoms of rapid, shallow breathing should not be self-treated, and are "generally considered a medical emergency," the hospital warns.

    Date Published: 11/25/2010

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