What is the medical term for rapid breathing?

The medical term for rapid breathing is tachypnea. This condition refers specifically to an increased rate of breathing, which can be a physiological response to various factors such as anxiety, fever, or respiratory distress. Tachypnea can be an important sign in clinical assessments, indicating that the body is trying to compensate for a lack of oxygen or an increase in metabolic demand.

In the context of other options, bradypnea refers to abnormally slow breathing, while dyspnea describes a subjective experience of breathing discomfort or difficulty, not necessarily linked to the rate of breathing. Apnea is the term used for a temporary cessation of breathing, which is distinct from rapid breathing. Each of these terms reflects different respiratory conditions, but tachypnea specifically denotes the condition of increased respiratory rate.