Respiration refers to taking in of oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Usually when a person complains of a respiratory disorder, the doctor will check the respiratory rate. It is also referred to as breathing rate and here the doctor will check the number of breaths the person takes in a single minute. So, what is the normal respiratory rate for adults?
The normal respiratory rate for adults differs from one person to the next. Usually this rate is calculated when the person is resting and the levels of stress are minimal. Many factors affect the normal respiratory rate in adults and these include factors such as age, gender and medical conditions such as bronchitis, GERD, asthma as well as seizures. It has been seen that the normal rate of respiration in adults varies between 12 breaths and 20 breathes in one minute. In contrast, kids have a higher rate of respiration compared to adults, wherein the normal rate of respiration in pre-school kids is between 20 to 30 breaths in a minute and in older kids, the rate of respiration while resting is around 16 to 25 breaths in a single minute. The reason for this difference in the respiratory rate is that as a person matures, the capacity of the lungs enhances. So, although the normal respiratory rate in adults is lower than kids, they still take in more volume of air compared to kids.
A doctor will always check for normal respiratory rate when a person goes for check up or health problem. By checking the normal rate of respiration, the doctor will be able to find out whether the person is suffering from some or the other health problem related to the lungs.
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Infants, pre-schoolers and kids have normal respiratory rate that is different from adults. Usually the normal respiratory rate for children is much higher than adults as their lungs are still developing and they need to breathe faster in order to get the required oxygen.