Spirometry is of the most commonly ordered lung function tests.
The spirometer measures how much air you can breathe into your lungs and how much air you can quickly blow out of your lungs.
This test is done by having you take in a deep breath and then, as fast as you can, blow out all of the air. You will be blowing into a tube connected to a machine (spirometer). To get the “best” test result, the test is repeated three times. You will be given a rest between tests.
The test is often repeated after giving you a breathing medicine (bronchodilator) to find out how much better you might breathe with this type of medicine.
It usually takes 30 minutes to complete this test.
It takes effort to do this test and you may become tired. This is expected.
If you become light-headed or dizzy during this test immediately stop blowing and let the staff know.