What should you know about disposable spirometer?

Spirometry records how much air you can breathe out and how quickly you can do so. During testing, you seal your lips around a mouthpiece, inhale fully, then blow out hard and for as long as instructed. The disposable component may include the mouthpiece or filter, while the main monitor displays the measurement. Results depend on effort, technique, age, body size, and current health.

Follow the clinic's instructions about meals, smoking, exercise, and inhalers before testing. Wear comfortable clothing and tell the clinician about chest pain, recent surgery, dizziness, or an infection. Sit or stand as instructed, seal your lips firmly, and repeat the manoeuvre when asked. Coughing, poor seal, or stopping early can make the result harder to interpret.

Speak with a clinician if breathlessness, wheeze, cough, or reduced exercise tolerance persists, even when one test seems acceptable. Stop and tell the tester if you develop chest pain, severe dizziness, faintness, marked breathlessness, or feel unwell during the manoeuvre. Seek emergency help for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, confusion, or collapse.

Ask what the measurements mean for your symptoms, whether the effort was adequate, and whether repeat testing or another assessment is needed. Ask when to use prescribed inhalers and how the results will guide follow-up.