Everyone Healthy Library
Shallow Breathing
Sign or symptom reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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A symptom can have many possible causes. Some symptoms need urgent assessment, especially when they are severe, sudden or rapidly worsening.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
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- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Full information
Shallow Breathing
Shallow breathing (also known as thoracic breathing) is when the intercostal muscles, rather than the usual diaphragm, are used to draw breath inwards. This results in air proceeding to the chest region rather than throughout the lungs, meaning that only minimal breath enters the lungs.
Symptom classification
Body areaChest
Body areaLungs
Conditions linked to this sign/symptom
15Drugs where this is listed as a side effect
0No drug side-effect links are listed yet.