If you visit your doctor complaining of difficulty breathing and are exhibiting symptoms such as wheezing, comparable to an asthma attack, they may suggest that you undergo a spirometry test. It is a quick and painless exam that provides your doctor with useful information about your respiratory health.
It is often used for people with suspected asthma. Here’s what to expect from a spirometry test and how it can help you.
The Spirometry Test
A spirometry test checks your breathing and lung function, such as how much air you can breathe into your lungs as well as how much air you can breathe out. The test also reveals how fast you are able to breathe air out of your lungs. This type of test does not need to be performed in a hospital setting and can be done in your doctor’s clinic.
A spirometry test is also an important step before a patient receives treatment for lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis, and to test if treatment is working.
How The Test Works
A spirometry test involves the use of a spirometer, which is an apparatus that measures the volume and speed of air going in and out of the lungs. The test takes two measurements, the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), which is the maximum amount of air you can blow out and the
Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1), or the amount of air you can blow out of your lungs in the first second.
First, the doctor or the pulmonary function technician will ask you to sit in an upright position, place a clip on your nose, and instruct you to wear a mouthpiece. The doctor or technician will ask you to take a deep breath and blow as hard and as fast as you can into the mouthpiece of the spirometer. You will be asked to repeat this step a number of times for a higher degree of accuracy.
Depending on the test results, you may be given medicine to open up your airways. The test should take less than an hour to complete. Should you feel any discomfort, such as dizziness or difficulty breathing, let the doctor or pulmonary technician know.
How a Spirometry Test Can Help You
A spirometry test is a diagnostic tool used to diagnose a variety of serious health conditions affecting your respiratory system. It provides the doctor with the information needed to give a diagnosis and create a treatment plan for your lung or breathing problem. The results could very well reveal a serious condition, like COPD, which requires treatment.
Spirometry Testing in Denton and Frisco, Texas
If you are experiencing breathing problems, a spirometry test can reveal the cause of your symptoms. At DFW Anti-Aging and Wellness Centers, we offer spirometry testing as part of our on-site services to our patients.
To find out more about spirometry testing or to schedule a test, call DFW Anti-Aging and Wellness Centers at (469) 389-5251 or request an appointment now. Our staff will respond to your request within 48 hours.
