If you need to assess how well your lungs work, your doctor might recommend you take a test called spirometry. This is an office test measures how much air you inhale and exhale and how quickly you do so.

Spirometry is usually used to diagnose COPD, asthma, other breathing conditions. Moreover, this test can be used to monitor the lungs condition and determine if a certain treatment is actually aiding and improving breathing.

In fact, doctors usually recommend a spirometry test if a patient experiences symptoms that are caused by a chronic lung condition, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, COPD, asthma, or pulmonary fibrosis.

Patients who have already been diagnosed with a chronic lung disorder might get spirometry prescribed to check periodically whether the meds are working and if the breathing issues are under control.

Additionally, doctors also prescribe this test before a surgery to determine if the condition of the lungs is good enough for the rigors of an operation. Last but not least, spirometry is used to screen for occupational-related lung disorders.

Get Ready for the Test

In order to prepare properly for spirometry always follow the doctor’s instructions very carefully. You might be asked to avoid taking some medications before this test. Likewise, you will need to follow these steps to be as ready as possible for the test:

• Try not to eat too much before spirometry as it will be difficult for you to take a deep breath
• Wear comfortable and loose clothing which ease your breathing and won’t cause any discomfort

During the Test

Spirometry is a test that requires you to breathe into a tube attached to a machine. This machine is called a spirometer and that’s where the name of the test comes from.

Before doing the test, you will receive detailed instructions either from the nurse or your doctor. Make sure you listen carefully and always ask questions so that everything is clear to you. Correctly performing the test is essential if you want to get accurate results.

In a nutshell, here is how the exact procedure will go during a spirometry test:

• You will be seated on a chair
• The nurse will place a clip on your nose to keep your nostrils closed
• You will be asked to take a deep breath and breathe out as hard as you can into the tube
• Your lips must be sealed around the tube to prevent air leakage
• This will be performed for 3 times so that the results are as accurate as possible, but is there is a lot of variation among the 3 test, you will be asked to repeat the test again

The spirometry test takes no longer than 15 minutes and you might be given an inhaled medication to open your lungs after the test. Then, after 15 minutes, you will be asked to repeat the test so that the results can be compared and it will determine with the inhaled medication, known as bronchodilator, improved your airflow.

Spirometry Test Risks

In general, spirometry is a safe test which comes with no risks. However, some people might experience dizziness or shortness of breath after the test. The good news is that this lasts very shortly. Also note that the test isn’t safe to be performed in patients who have some heart condition or have recently had a heart attack. It is very rare that spirometry will cause some breathing issues.

The Results

There will be 2 key spirometry measurements you should know about:

• Forced vital capacity (FVC): the largest amount of air that you can forcefully exhale after breathing in as deeply as you can. So, if your FCV reading is lower than the normal range, it will mean that your breathing is restricted.
• Forced expiratory volume (FEV): shows how much air you can force from your lungs in 1 second. Your doctor used this reading to assess the severity of your breathing problems. Hence, if your FEV-1 readings are lower, it means that you have a more significant and severe obstruction.