Lung Function Test
Services
Indications
A lung function test may be recommended if you’re experiencing any of the following:
- Shortness of Breath: Constantly feeling like you can’t catch your breath.
- Asthma: Difficulty breathing, wheezing, or a persistent cough.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, with symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
- Restrictive Lung Disease: A condition that limits your lungs' ability to fully expand, making breathing difficult.
- Pre-Surgery Check: To assess your lung function before undergoing surgery.
- Lung-related Health Issues: For chronic lung problems or disabilities affecting your breathing.
What is a Lung Function Test?
A lung function test essentially measures how well your lungs are working. It checks how much air you can breathe in, how much you can blow out, and how quickly you can exhale. This test helps diagnose respiratory conditions and track the effectiveness of treatments.
What Can I Expect During the Test?
The lung function test takes about 30 minutes and includes three parts:
- Spirometry (Pre-Bronchodilator):
- You will start by breathing into a mouthpiece connected to a machine.
- First, you’ll breathe in deeply and then blow out as hard and fast as you can.
- You’ll repeat this at least three times to ensure accurate results.
- This initial spirometry test measures your lung function without any medications (pre-bronchodilator).
- Gas Transfer Test:
- For this part, you’ll breathe in a harmless gas through the mouthpiece and hold your breath for about 10 seconds.
- Then, you’ll exhale completely, and we’ll measure how much of the gas has been absorbed by your lungs. This helps us understand how well oxygen moves from your lungs into your bloodstream.
- You may be asked to repeat this cycle a few times, with short breaks in between.
- Spirometry (Post-Bronchodilator):
- After the gas transfer test, you will be given a bronchodilator, a medication like Ventolin, which helps open up your airways.
- You’ll wait about 4 minutes for the medication to take effect, then repeat the spirometry test to see how much the medication improves your lung function (post-bronchodilator).
What Are the Risks of the Test?
There are very few risks involved with a lung function test. You may feel temporarily short of breath, dizzy, or cough during the test, but these symptoms usually go away quickly. In rare cases, deep breathing might trigger symptoms for people with asthma, but the healthcare team will be prepared to assist if this happens. Rest assured, your safety is a top priority during the test.
Preparation
(This test will take up to 30 minutes)
To ensure we get accurate results, please follow these preparation guidelines:
- Medications: Some lung medications, such as inhalers, should be stopped before the test. Here’s what you need to do:
- 12 hours before the test, stop taking these medications: Alvesco, Anoro, Atrovent, Beclomethasone, Breo, Breo-Ellipta, Bretaris, Brimica, Flixotide, Flutiform, Incruse, Onbrez, Oxis, Pulmicort, Salmeterol, Seebri, Seretide, Serevent, Singulair, Spiolto, Spiriva, Symbicort, Ultibro & Breezhaler.
- 4 hours before the test, stop taking these medications unless absolutely necessary: Airomir, Asmol, Bricanyl & Ventolin.
- Wear comfortable, loose clothing that doesn’t restrict your breathing.
- Avoid smoking for at least 6 hours before the test.
- Refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 4 hours before the test.
- Don’t eat a large meal within 2 hours of your test, as this can make it harder to breathe deeply.
- Avoid intense exercise for at least 1 hour before your appointment.
- Let us know if you’ve recently had:
- Eye, chest, brain or abdominal surgery (within the last 4 weeks).
- Chest pain, a recent heart attack, or an unstable heart condition.
- Active tuberculosis (TB) or a respiratory infection like a cold or the flu.
- A bulging blood vessel (aneurysm) in your chest, abdomen, or brain.
- Sinus or middle ear surgery or infection (within 1 week).
These guidelines ensure that the test results are as accurate as possible and help us take the best care of your health.
Request an Appointment with Sleepscope.
Call us or submit a request form to make an online booking.
Request an Appointment with Sleepscope.
Call us or submit a request form to make an online booking.