What is Spirometry

What is spirometry?

This is a common test used to measure how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale, and how quickly you exhale. The test takes about 5 minutes and it is something I do every few months to keep my numbers up to date for my doctors to see. This is a common test for those who suffer from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorders) and is used to make sure the medications you are on are working against infection.

This test is fairly easy and painless. You breathe into a tube called a spirometer. You use a clip to pinch your nose shut, and to begin the test you breathe into the tube normally for five breaths. After five breaths, the respiratory therapist will tell you to take the deepest breath you can and "blast it out". This meaning to exhale as hard and fast as you can until they say stop.

This test measures two things :

Forced vital capacity (FVC). This is the largest amount of air that you can forcefully exhale after breathing in as deeply as you can. A lower than normal FVC reading indicates restricted breathing.

Forced expiratory volume (FEV). This is how much air you can force from your lungs in one second. This reading helps your doctor assess the severity of your breathing problems. Lower FEV-1 readings indicate more significant obstruction.

This is me, trying my hardest to increase my spiro score so I can be released from the hospital. After hard work and plenty of antibiotics, I increased my percentage from 63 to 73.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/946a4c_89d15575271b4961a5c8345643054460/1080p/mp4/file.mp4