Pulmonary function tests – often called lung function tests – help us see how well your lungs are working and how effectively your body is getting oxygen. Large studies have established what’s considered normal for men and women at different ages, and your results are compared against these benchmarks. If your lung function is below what we’d expect, it’s simply a signal that we need to investigate further.
One of the most common lung function tests is spirometry, which gives a clear picture of how well your lungs are performing.
Spirometry measures how much air you can blow out and how quickly. You’ll take a deep breath and exhale into a mouthpiece attached to a spirometer. The test is usually repeated a few times for accuracy and typically takes around 30 minutes.
No special preparation is needed, though it helps to avoid a large meal beforehand and not smoke on the day of testing. We’ll advise you about your usual medications, and sometimes a bronchodilator or other medications may be given during the test.
We’ll review your results with you and discuss any changes to your treatment or a new course of therapy if needed.
These tests are also valuable for keeping track of chronic conditions like COPD, cystic fibrosis and severe asthma. As well as using pulmonary function tests to assess lung health and guide treatment decisions, we also use them to help detect or monitor:
A minimally invasive procedure that examines the lungs and surrounding lymph nodes.
Blood tests for markers of liver fibrosis, which help assess your liver health and detect scarring early.
A procedure that allows us to visually inspect your digestive tract to diagnose and monitor gastrointestinal conditions.