The Importance of a Pulmonary Function Test
Physicians encourage patients to attend regular hospital visits to determine wellness. During these visits, your doctor may perform a Bridgewater pulmonary function test to examine your lungs and determine how well they work. One of the benefits of a pulmonary function test is your doctor does not cut you open. The noninvasive techniques involved reduce the risk of complications.
Why do doctors perform pulmonary function tests?
Pulmonary function tests are essential diagnostic tests that physicians perform to confirm lung health and detect development conditions. Some of the most common conditions physicians check for in during a pulmonary function test include:
- Asthma
- Lung cancer
- Chronic bronchitis
- Infections
- Asbestosis
- Scleroderma
- Sarcoidosis
Physicians encourage patients to undergo pulmonary function tests because an accurate diagnosis will influence the treatment plan and thus enhance the chances of recovery. Therefore, patients should seek early medical intervention to address any symptoms of concern.
What happens during a pulmonary function test?
There are various tests doctors incorporate in a pulmonary function test. For this reason, an initial consultation is crucial in influencing a diagnostic plan. For example:
- Spirometry
Most patients undergoing pulmonary function tests will undergo spirometry. Your doctor will recommend this test to determine how much air you are breathing in and out to ensure optimal performance. This test is also helpful in determining the speed of air out of your lungs. Suppose you have any blockage in the airways due to inflammation from allergic reactions like asthma. In that case, your doctor will use this test to make a diagnosis and thus develop an ideal approach to ensure functionality.
There is a tube to put in the mouth and breathe in and out as much air as possible. This test works by determining how much air you exhale after breathing in deeply. This test accurately diagnoses breathing complications and the severity of a patient’s condition because it measures how much air you breathe out in one second.
- Body plethysmography
This test is the opposite of spirometry because instead of measuring how much air you breathe out, it measures how much air your lungs take in after inhaling deeply. This test also helps your doctor determine how much air remains in your lungs after exhaling.
Some of the reasons body plethysmography is a standard pulmonary function test include its ability to help physicians determine how certain diseases affect your lungs. This test can detect any restrictive disease limiting your lung capacity to hold air. Physicians also perform this test to understand the ideal treatment that a patient may need to improve lung health.
The importance of physician training in performing pulmonary function test
Patients should appreciate medical intervention from licensed practitioners who understand the meaning of specific test results in determining patient health. Physician training is essential in ensuring accurate test results and thus proper diagnosis that will influence treatment plan and thus promote efficacy. Contact Respacare to schedule a pulmonary function test that will reveal the underlying cause of your symptoms.
