- 1). Use a stethoscope to listen to someone breathe air in and out of their nose. You will hear their lungs taking in the air, and you will hear their nose blowing it out.
- 2). Place your hand on your diaphragm (area right under your breasts and at the top of your rib cage). As you breathe in and out, you can feel your diaphragm expand and contract.
- 3). Notice a person's skin color, which should not be blue. If the skin is blue, then the body is lacking in oxygen and cannot perform respiration. Respiration enables the body to be active and healthy, because it utilizes the air you inhale when you breathe.
- 4). Check the person's respiration rate. This is the number of breaths a person takes during 1 minute while at rest. An average adult takes approximately 12 to 25 breaths per minute. When a person has a fever or is ill, the respiration may be higher, because the body is in need of more oxygen. With more oxygen, the body can perform respiration more often and break down the oxygen so the blood can carry it to cells that are in need.
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