Spirometry

Yes if:

• You are over 40 years old especially if you smoke
• If you are short of breath easily.
• If you have a persistent cough
• If you work in an unhealthy environment. Workers in chemical industries, food production industries, clothing, plastics, polyurethane industries, bakers, furniture makers, etc.
• If you are a farmer and use pesticides or have a grain warehouse • If you are a livestock breeder
• If you are going to have surgery under general anesthesia
• If you take inhaled medicines

• When you have a serious illness (recent myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, known brain aneurysm, pneumothorax, hemoptysis).
• When you have recently had surgery on either the eye or the abdomen.
• When you suffer from unstable angina pectoris.

• You should not have received bronchodilator therapy.
• Have not smoked for at least 6 hours.
• Do not have a recent heavy meal.

Spirometry may seem like a simple test but its evaluation can hide pitfalls. In addition to the classic FEV1 FVC parameters, another 20 to 40 parameters are recorded that only a specialist Pulmonologist can evaluate. So you need:

• Quality equipment.

• Specialist technician or Pulmonologist who understands:

– The equipment

– ​​How to perform the spirometry

– The patient – ​​And recognizes any measurement errors.

• A pulmonologist capable of:

– Judging the need for spirometry

– Assessing the results

– Explaining to the patient what spirometry ‘shows’

Spirometry determines the type of functional disorder of the lungs and in combination with the patient’s history and physical examination leads to the correct diagnosis.