Saberi Clinic

Spirometry is a common office test used to assess how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale and how quickly you exhale.

Spirometry is used to diagnose shortness of breath, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions that affect breathing. Spirometry may also be used periodically to monitor your lung condition and check whether a treatment for a chronic lung condition is helping you breathe better. Your doctor may suggest a spirometry test if he or she suspects your signs or symptoms may be caused by chronic lung condition such as: Shortness of breath, COPD, chronic bronchitis, Emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis.

A spirometry test requires you to breathe into a tube attached to a machine called a spirometer. Before you do the test, our technician will give you specific instructions. Listen carefully and ask questions if something is not clear. Doing the test correctly is necessary for accurate and meaningful results.

During the test:

A clip will be placed on your nose to keep your nostrils closed.

You will take a deep breath and breathe out as hard as you can for several seconds into the tube. It's important that your lips create a seal around the tube, so that no air leaks out.

You'll need to do the test at least three times to make sure your results are relatively consistent. If there is too much variation among the three outcomes, you may need to repeat the test again. The highest value among three close test results is used as the final result.

The entire process usually takes less than 15 minutes.

The Technician will give you an inhaled medication to open your lungs (bronchodilator) after the initial round of testing. You will need to wait 15 minutes and then do another set of measurements. The doctor will then compare the results of the two measurements to see whether the bronchodilator improved your airflow.

Spirometry

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