Labored respiration or labored breathing is an abnormal respiration

Respiration (physiology)

'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...

 characterized by evidence of increased effort to breathe, including the use of accessory muscles of respiration, stridor

Stridor

Stridor is a high pitched wheezing sound resulting from turbulent air flow in the upper airway. Stridor is a physical sign which is produced by narrow or obstructed airway path. It can be inspiratory, expiratory or biphasic . Inspiratory stridor is common...

, grunting, or nasal flaring.

Classification

Labored breathing is distinguished from shortness of breath or dyspnea, which is the sensation of respiratory distress rather than a physical presentation.

Still, many simply define dyspnea as difficulty in breathing without further specification, which may confuse it with e.g. labored breathing or tachypnea

Tachypnea

Tachypnea means rapid breathing. Any rate between 12-20 breaths per minute is normal. Tachypnea is a respiration rate greater than 20 breaths per minute. - Distinction from other breathing terms :...

 (rapid breathing). Labored breathing has occasionally been included in the definition of dyspnea as well. However, in the standard definition, these related signs may be present at the same time, but don't necessarily have to be. For instance, in respiratory arrest

Respiratory arrest

Respiratory arrest is the cessation of breathing. It is a medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a cardiac arrest. Causes include opiate overdose, head injury, anaesthesia, tetanus, or drowning...

 by a primary failure in respiratory muscles the patient, if conscious, may experience dyspnea, yet without having any labored breathing or tachypnea. The other way around, labored breathing or tachypnea can voluntarily be performed even when there is no dyspnea.

Presentations

Presentations of labored respiration include:

• Hyperpnea
  Hyperpnea
  Hyperpnea or hyperpnoea is increased depth of breathing when required to meet metabolic demand of body tissues, such as during or following exercise, or when the body lacks oxygen , for instance in high altitude or as a result of anemia....
  
   - faster and/or deeper breathing
• Tachypnea
  Tachypnea
  Tachypnea means rapid breathing. Any rate between 12-20 breaths per minute is normal. Tachypnea is a respiration rate greater than 20 breaths per minute. - Distinction from other breathing terms :...
  
   - increased breathing rate
• Use of accessory muscles of respiration rather than only the diaphragm
  Thoracic diaphragm
  In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
  
  
• Sternal retractions - sucking in of the skin around the ribs and the top of the sternum

Causes

Causes of labored breathing include:

• Severe metabolic acidosis, particularly diabetic ketoacidosis
  Diabetic ketoacidosis
  Diabetic ketoacidosis is a potentially life-threatening complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. It happens predominantly in those with type 1 diabetes, but it can occur in those with type 2 diabetes under certain circumstances...
  
   (DKA) but also renal failure. The specific associated breathing pattern is called Kussmaul breathing
  Kussmaul breathing
  Kussmaul breathing is a deep and labored breathing pattern often associated with severe metabolic acidosis, particularly diabetic ketoacidosis but also renal failure. It is a form of hyperventilation, which is any breathing pattern that reduces carbon dioxide in the blood due to increased rate or...
  
  .
• Cardiac disease
• Respiratory failure
  Respiratory failure
  The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
  
  

See also

• List of terms of lung size and activity
• Agonal respiration
  Agonal respiration
  Agonal respiration is an abnormal pattern of breathing characterized by gasping, labored breathing, accompanied by strange vocalizations and myoclonus. Possible causes include cerebral ischemia, extreme hypoxia or even anoxia...
  
  , a specific type of abnormal breathing pattern