Spirometers are used to assess how well the lungs work due to contaminants that we breath, how medications effect us, progression of diseases, and why we have shortness of breath. This medical device measures the flow of respiration in the lungs. The amount of air is recorded while the patient inhales and exhales over a set period of time allowing the condition of the patient's lung to be determined.
The test involves some fast and forced periods of breathing and can cause a temporary shortness of breath or a feeling of lightheadedness. The patient wears nose clips and breathes through a tight fitting mouthpiece. Normal results are based on height, ethnicity, sex, and age. A value less than 80 percent is considered abnormal. Ranges can vary slightly among laboratories.
If the test is abnormal this can be an indication of a lung disease or a chest disease. Chronic bronchitis, infections, asthma, and emphysema can cause the lungs to have too much air in them and take a longer to empty. These conditions are known as obstructive disorders of the lungs and can result in scarring and a limited capacity causing problems with the transfer of oxygen into the bloodstream and limiting the amount of air in the lungs. Being very overweight, having lung cancer, fibrosis of the lungs, or scleroderma and sarcoidosis can be contributing factors.
For most, this test poses very little risk, but there are conditions that could cause the risk of a collapsed lung such as those who have certain lung diseases. People who have heart disease or have recently experienced a heart attack should avoid this test.
To get the optimal results cooperation is required. The seal around the mouth needs to be tight or the spirometer will give poor results that will be hard to interpret. It is advised not to smoke 4 to 6 hours before taking the test or to eat a heavy meal. Those who use bronchodilators or inhaler medication will get specific instructions.
Another type of test that is administered to check lung volume is done by breathing nitrogen or helium gas for a specific time period. Tracer gas is also used for diffusion capacity testing, this is a harmless gas that is inhaled for one breathe, then the gas is measured as one exhales and the difference is measured between the inhaled and exhaled amounts of gas. Oxygen movement is checked in air to the bloodstream transfer.
Physicians use this method routinely as part of annual physicals to alert them of any conditions their patients may have and to properly treat them. With minimal discomfort to the patient, this quick and non-invasive method takes but a few minutes and provides an accurate account of how well the lungs function.
With the invention of spirometers as far back as 129 A. D. By a physician in Greece using an animal bladder to our current version invented in 1974, this medical device has proven to be an accurate measurement of lung volume to assist in the detection and monitoring of diseases and the effect of medications.
The test involves some fast and forced periods of breathing and can cause a temporary shortness of breath or a feeling of lightheadedness. The patient wears nose clips and breathes through a tight fitting mouthpiece. Normal results are based on height, ethnicity, sex, and age. A value less than 80 percent is considered abnormal. Ranges can vary slightly among laboratories.
If the test is abnormal this can be an indication of a lung disease or a chest disease. Chronic bronchitis, infections, asthma, and emphysema can cause the lungs to have too much air in them and take a longer to empty. These conditions are known as obstructive disorders of the lungs and can result in scarring and a limited capacity causing problems with the transfer of oxygen into the bloodstream and limiting the amount of air in the lungs. Being very overweight, having lung cancer, fibrosis of the lungs, or scleroderma and sarcoidosis can be contributing factors.
For most, this test poses very little risk, but there are conditions that could cause the risk of a collapsed lung such as those who have certain lung diseases. People who have heart disease or have recently experienced a heart attack should avoid this test.
To get the optimal results cooperation is required. The seal around the mouth needs to be tight or the spirometer will give poor results that will be hard to interpret. It is advised not to smoke 4 to 6 hours before taking the test or to eat a heavy meal. Those who use bronchodilators or inhaler medication will get specific instructions.
Another type of test that is administered to check lung volume is done by breathing nitrogen or helium gas for a specific time period. Tracer gas is also used for diffusion capacity testing, this is a harmless gas that is inhaled for one breathe, then the gas is measured as one exhales and the difference is measured between the inhaled and exhaled amounts of gas. Oxygen movement is checked in air to the bloodstream transfer.
Physicians use this method routinely as part of annual physicals to alert them of any conditions their patients may have and to properly treat them. With minimal discomfort to the patient, this quick and non-invasive method takes but a few minutes and provides an accurate account of how well the lungs function.
With the invention of spirometers as far back as 129 A. D. By a physician in Greece using an animal bladder to our current version invented in 1974, this medical device has proven to be an accurate measurement of lung volume to assist in the detection and monitoring of diseases and the effect of medications.
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