Hypopnea and other types of breathing

We have determined that hypopnea is an abnormal type of breathing when the airflow is labored because of some pathology of the respiratory system. Generally speaking, breathing turns out to be quite a complicated issue. And apart from hypopnea there rather a large number of other breathing patterns. Let’s have a look at some terms and their short definitions.

• eupnoea - normal breathing
• dyspnea - intense breath with a shortness, sometimes with cyanosis
• oligopnea – weakening of respiratory movements accompanied with reduction of breath
• tachypnea – quickened and fast breathing
• bradypnea – rare and slow breath
• apnea – cessation of breathing
• hyperpnea – the increased amplitude of breathing at the normal rate

Speaking about hypopnea in these terms it can be defined as the reduced amplitude of breathing at the normal rate.