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Spirometers are a medical device used to measure respiration flow rates in the lungs. They record the amount of air breathed in and out over a specific period of time and are used to test the condition of a patient's lungs. Diseases such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma can be tested for with this device. It is often used to find out the cause of shortness of breathe, to assess lung function due to contaminants, the effects of medications, and the progression of disease.
The patient is fitted with nose clips and breathes through a mouthpiece that is tight fitting for optimal results. Forced and fast breathing during testing can cause a feeling of being lightheaded or can cause a temporary shortness of breath. Age, ethnicity, race, and sex all determine normal range results. When test scores drop below 80 percent, the test is deemed to be abnormal, but ranges can vary with different laboratories.
An abnormal result can indicate a lung or chest disease. Diseases such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and infections can cause the lungs to take longer to empty and they can contain too much air. These are called obstructive lung disorders. Some diseases can cause the lungs to be scarred and become smaller so that they do not transfer oxygen into the blood and they contain too little air. Illnesses that contribute to this are being extremely overweight, sarcoidosis and scleroderma, lung cancer, and fibrosis of the lungs.
There is minimal risk in taking this test for most people. Occasionally there is a risk of a collapsed lung in those with certain lung diseases. People who have recently had a heart attack or other types of heart disease should not take 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 way to measure lung volume is by breathing helium or nitrogen gas through a tube for a specified amount of time. One can also have a diffusion capacity measurement done by breathing a tracer gas that is harmless for a short amount of time for one breath. The gas is measured as one breathes out and the difference between the gas breathed in and exhaled is measured. This type of testing checks for oxygen movement from the air into the bloodstream.
This test is a routine part of a physical and can alert the physician to possible problems with lung function for early detection and treatment. It is non-invasion and of minimal discomfort to the patient while being performed. It takes but a few minutes to get an accurate assessment of how the lungs are functioning.
Spirometers have been around since 129 A. D. When a bladder was used to check the lung capacity of a boy in Greece. Today we base this technology on the principals developed in 1974 to accurately measure lung volume to aid in the monitoring and detection of lung disease and the effects of treatments.
The patient is fitted with nose clips and breathes through a mouthpiece that is tight fitting for optimal results. Forced and fast breathing during testing can cause a feeling of being lightheaded or can cause a temporary shortness of breath. Age, ethnicity, race, and sex all determine normal range results. When test scores drop below 80 percent, the test is deemed to be abnormal, but ranges can vary with different laboratories.
An abnormal result can indicate a lung or chest disease. Diseases such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and infections can cause the lungs to take longer to empty and they can contain too much air. These are called obstructive lung disorders. Some diseases can cause the lungs to be scarred and become smaller so that they do not transfer oxygen into the blood and they contain too little air. Illnesses that contribute to this are being extremely overweight, sarcoidosis and scleroderma, lung cancer, and fibrosis of the lungs.
There is minimal risk in taking this test for most people. Occasionally there is a risk of a collapsed lung in those with certain lung diseases. People who have recently had a heart attack or other types of heart disease should not take 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 way to measure lung volume is by breathing helium or nitrogen gas through a tube for a specified amount of time. One can also have a diffusion capacity measurement done by breathing a tracer gas that is harmless for a short amount of time for one breath. The gas is measured as one breathes out and the difference between the gas breathed in and exhaled is measured. This type of testing checks for oxygen movement from the air into the bloodstream.
This test is a routine part of a physical and can alert the physician to possible problems with lung function for early detection and treatment. It is non-invasion and of minimal discomfort to the patient while being performed. It takes but a few minutes to get an accurate assessment of how the lungs are functioning.
Spirometers have been around since 129 A. D. When a bladder was used to check the lung capacity of a boy in Greece. Today we base this technology on the principals developed in 1974 to accurately measure lung volume to aid in the monitoring and detection of lung disease and the effects of treatments.
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