5. Shortness of breath
Our breathing pattern and rate can also be affected by sepsis. The rate and depth of our breath is controlled by a series of muscles in our torso, including our diaphragm and our intercostal muscles, among many others. The relaxation of these muscles causes our lungs to expand, and as a result the air comes in through our nose and/or mouth. When we inhale, the oxygen that is contained in the air that we breathe goes through the lining of the lungs and right into our bloodstream.
The level of oxygen in our blood is controlled by an autonomous system in our brain stem. If there is not enough oxygen in our blood, this system will make us breathe faster in order to compensate for the lack of oxygen. People with sepsis tend to breathe faster than usual, more than twenty times per minute, and often feel difficulty breathing.