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.
Being cooperative during testing is very important to receive the most accurate results. The seal around the mouthpiece must be tight or the device will product results that are hard to understand. Smoking or eating a heavy meal should be avoided for 4 to 6 hours before testing. People using bronchodilators or inhaler medications will receive special instruction.
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.
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.
Being cooperative during testing is very important to receive the most accurate results. The seal around the mouthpiece must be tight or the device will product results that are hard to understand. Smoking or eating a heavy meal should be avoided for 4 to 6 hours before testing. People using bronchodilators or inhaler medications will receive special instruction.
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.
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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