How is a spirometry testing performed?

How is a spirometry testing performed?

A spirometry test requires a patient to arrive at the testing site, be prepared to sit for about an hour, take a deep breath and blow into the machine. The respiratory therapist that will administer the test will be very good at coaxing the patient step-by-step through the test and informing them how they want that test to be performed. The therapist will be looking for what is called a "flow volume curve" during the spirometry test. So, when the person inhales, the inspatory lube and expiatory lube, is noted against flow and volume and then the speed with which the person can exhale is also noted. For instance, in patients with asthma, do the airways collapse as they start to exhale? What happens when they inhale? We can tell whether or not the obstruction is in the upper airways or the lower airways, by the shape of the curve during the spirometry test. We can then see what happens if a person inhales a bronchial dilator. We can discover if their airway opens up and responds nicely to the application of the bronchial dilator and once again we can disvoer how that patient's lung is reacting to their particular problem with their lung.