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The amount of oxygen supplied to the body depends on the capacity of the lungs. Check the condition of your lungs.
The test that evaluates the function and capacity of the lungs is spirometry. This test is painless, requires no preparation and takes only a few minutes. It is the most frequently performed test in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive diseases that constrict the airways and make breathing difficult, including bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Who should get a spirometer tested? Any cigarette smoker over the age of 40 every two years, regardless of whether or not he has symptoms of the disease. The test is also recommended for people who cough, suffer from shortness of breath or tire easily, whether they smoke or not.
Such symptoms may indicate, for example, pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is diagnosed, inter alia, in based on spirometry. It's best to get tested at a lung disease clinic or hospital (a referral is needed).
You can take advantage of various actions during which the test is performed free of charge. Lung disease outpatient clinics and hospitals as well as he alth care clinics across the country offer free examinations on the occasion of World Spirometry Day (June 27).
The test measures the vital capacity (FVC), which is the greatest amount of air that can be blown out of the lungs, and the amount of air that can be exhaled during the first second (FEV1). In the spirometric test, the computer calculates the so-called the due values that a person of a given gender, height and age should achieve. When the result is close to this average, it means that the lungs are working properly.
Do a simple home test before you see your doctor.
If the result is not the best, see a specialist who will likely order a spirometry test to help determine the cause of the poor lung function.