Breathing is essential for life as it involves taking in oxygen into the body and expelling carbon dioxide from the body. It supplies our body with the oxygen we need to get energy from food during respiration. Carbon dioxide is the waste product of respiration. It is toxic, and breathing helps remove it from the body.
What is breathing?
Breathing is a physical process that involves inhalation, relaxation, and exhalation. It has two stages: gas exchange and ventilation. Ventilation is the movement of air in and out of the lungs, while gas exchange takes place in the air sacs or alveoli in the lungs. Two things happen during the gas exchange; carbon dioxide diffuses into the lungs from the bloodstream, while oxygen goes into the bloodstream.
Breathing rate
Breathing rate refers to how often you inhale and exhale per minute. The breathing rate of a healthy person is as follows:
Six weeks and below: 24 to 40 breathes per minute Six weeks to 2 years: 25 to 40 breathes per minute3 to 5 years: 20 to 30 breathes per minute6 to 9 years: 18 to 25 breathes per minute10 to 64 years: 12 to 18 breathes per minute65 to 79 years: 12 to 28 breathes per minute80 years and above: 10 to 30 breathes per minute
The concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood
Chemoreceptors help detect the concentration of different substances in the blood. In the case of a high concentration of carbon dioxide and a low concentration of oxygen, the chemoreceptors in blood vessels signal the respiratory center in the brain, triggering an increase in breathing rate. Your breathing rate increases when you’re exercising because your body needs more oxygen to burn calories. In the process of burning calories to get energy, the concentration of carbon dioxide rises, resulting in an increased breathing rate. Emotional factors, such as happiness and sadness can also affect your breathing rate.
A change in breathing rate when you’re relaxed is a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a heart attack. The heart rate and breathing are connected. Your heart rate and breathing rate increase when you are exercising due to oxygen deficiency and an increased amount of carbon dioxide.
Monitoring your breathing rate using a breath rate monitor helps you predict some health conditions that are about to occur. An increase in breathing rate can be a sign of a heart attack. In case your breath rate per minute is below or above the average, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible.
There are many ways to monitor the breathing rate. Technology has made it possible for people to monitor their breathing rate at home. You don’t have to go to the nearby clinic or hospital each and every time you want to know your breathing rate. Equivital has a breath rate monitor that is easy to use at home. The device is not only easy to use but also reliable as it is accurate.