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 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.
When the result is abnormal it can be an indication of a chest or lung disease such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or an infection. In these cases the lungs hold too much air and can take a longer time to empty. These conditions are known as obstructive lung disorders and can sometimes cause scarring and produce a smaller lung capacity so that the lungs don't hold enough air and do not transfer oxygen into the blood effectively. Some illness that are contributors to these diseases are fibrosis of the lungs, being extremely overweight, lung cancer, and scleroderma and sarcoidosis.
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.
Cooperation is of the utmost importance when taking this test for the best results. The mouthpiece seal must be tight or the results will be bad and difficult to interpret. Smoking is not advised for at least 4 to 6 hours beforehand and do not eat a heavy meal prior to testing. People who use inhaler medications or a bronchodilator will get special instructions.
Nitrogen or helium gases are also used to measure lung volume. The gas is breathed through a tube for a specific amount of time. Tracer gas is used in diffusion measurements and requires that one breathe of this harmless gas is taken for a specified amount of time and then measured as the patient exhales. The difference in the amount breathed in versus breathed out is measured to check for the movement of oxygen flowing into the bloodstream.
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.
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.
When the result is abnormal it can be an indication of a chest or lung disease such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, or an infection. In these cases the lungs hold too much air and can take a longer time to empty. These conditions are known as obstructive lung disorders and can sometimes cause scarring and produce a smaller lung capacity so that the lungs don't hold enough air and do not transfer oxygen into the blood effectively. Some illness that are contributors to these diseases are fibrosis of the lungs, being extremely overweight, lung cancer, and scleroderma and sarcoidosis.
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.
Cooperation is of the utmost importance when taking this test for the best results. The mouthpiece seal must be tight or the results will be bad and difficult to interpret. Smoking is not advised for at least 4 to 6 hours beforehand and do not eat a heavy meal prior to testing. People who use inhaler medications or a bronchodilator will get special instructions.
Nitrogen or helium gases are also used to measure lung volume. The gas is breathed through a tube for a specific amount of time. Tracer gas is used in diffusion measurements and requires that one breathe of this harmless gas is taken for a specified amount of time and then measured as the patient exhales. The difference in the amount breathed in versus breathed out is measured to check for the movement of oxygen flowing into the bloodstream.
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.
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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