How to Check Your Breathing Rate

The breathing rate is an essential indicator used to assess one's health condition. Typically, we inhale oxygen when we breathe in and exhale carbon dioxide when we breathe out. Checking the breathing rate is a crucial step in ensuring that the respiratory organs remain healthy and function properly.

Count the breaths per minute. Breathing is measured by counting the number of breaths taken in a minute. To achieve accurate results, the person being measured should be relaxed and not breathe faster than usual due to exercise. After the person remains still for at least 10 minutes, you may begin counting the breaths.

• Help the person sit up straight. If measuring an infant's breathing, ensure the baby is resting against a firm surface.
• Use a stopwatch to count the number of breaths in one minute. Count the number of times the chest rises and falls in one minute.
• If the person knows you're about to measure, they may unconsciously alter their breathing rate. Simply instruct them to breathe normally. For more accurate results, you may measure three times and take the average.

Assess whether the person's breathing rate is normal. Since children tend to breathe faster than adults, compare the measured rate with the normal breathing rates by age group. The normal breathing rates are as follows:

• 30 to 60 breaths per minute for infants aged 0 to 6 months
• 24 to 30 breaths per minute for infants aged 6 to 12 months
• 20 to 30 breaths per minute for children aged 1 to 5 years
• 12 to 20 breaths per minute for children aged 6 to 11 years
• 12 to 18 breaths per minute for individuals aged 12 years and older

Identify symptoms affecting the breathing process. If a person's breathing rate is higher or lower than the above ranges and they are not engaging in physical activity, this may indicate respiratory distress. Other symptoms of this condition include:

• Nostrils flaring when breathing.
• Dark-colored skin.
• Contraction of the ribs and the central chest area.
• Wheezing, groaning, or crying sounds while breathing.

Monitor the breathing rate per minute when necessary. If you are with someone who requires frequent monitoring of their breathing rate, check every 15 minutes in non-emergency situations. If the person is in a critical condition, check the breathing rate every 5 minutes.

• Checking the breathing rate every minute can help you notice warning signs when the situation worsens, the patient goes into shock, or other changes occur.
• If possible, record the patient's breathing rate per minute to be prepared for a hospital visit if necessary.

Call emergency services immediately if you or someone else is having difficulty breathing. Rapid or slow breathing can be a symptom of:

• Asthma
• Anxiety
• Pneumonia
• Heart failure
• Overdose
• Fever

Using Breathing Support Tools. If someone requires assistance with breathing, doctors can apply various oxygen delivery methods, such as:

• Using an oxygen mask. This type of mask fits snugly on the face and can provide more oxygen than the air around us, which typically contains 21% oxygen. If someone is struggling to breathe, they may need more oxygen than usual.
• Using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). A breathing tube is placed in the nose, and oxygen is pushed into the lungs with a little pressure, helping to open the airways and lungs.
• Artificial Ventilation. A tube is inserted into the person's mouth and windpipe. This allows oxygen to be directly pushed into the lungs.

Avoid Breathing Too Fast Due to Anxiety. Some people breathe too quickly (also known as hyperventilation) when they feel anxious or frightened. This can make the person feel as though they are not breathing, even though they are inhaling too much oxygen due to the rapid breathing. If someone near you experiences this, you can:

• Calm and reassure them. Confirm that they are not having a heart attack and that their life is not in danger. Let them know everything is fine.
• Guide them to follow a breathing method that reduces the amount of oxygen they are taking in. They can breathe into a paper bag, purse their lips, or close one nostril and their mouth while exhaling. Once the CO2 and oxygen levels in their respiratory system balance, they will feel better.
• Encourage them to see a doctor.