What should you know about the Helios spirometer?

A Helios spirometer is a breathing-measurement device that records how much air you can exhale and how quickly you can blow it out. A clinician may use the readings to assess airflow, investigate breathlessness or a persistent cough, and compare breathing before and after an inhaled medicine. The device supports an assessment; it does not provide a diagnosis on its own.

You breathe through a disposable or clean mouthpiece connected to the spirometer. The instrument detects airflow and volume as you breathe normally and then perform a forceful breath when instructed. Common results include the amount of air exhaled and the speed of exhalation. A clinician considers these values alongside your symptoms, examination, medicines, smoking history, and any earlier tests. A result can be affected by effort, technique, recent illness, chest discomfort, or difficulty sealing your lips around the mouthpiece.

Spirometry is different from checking oxygen with a fingertip sensor. A spirometer evaluates how air moves in and out of the lungs, while an oxygen sensor estimates oxygen saturation in the blood.

Wear comfortable clothing that does not restrict your chest or abdomen. Tell the testing team about current inhalers, recent respiratory infections, chest pain, dizziness, pregnancy, or previous trouble with breathing tests; they can explain whether any medicine should be used or paused. Do not change prescribed treatment without instructions.

During the test, sit upright, keep the mouthpiece sealed with your lips, and follow the technician’s timing instructions. You may be asked to inhale fully and exhale hard and continuously until told to stop. Several attempts are often used so the team can check that the result is consistent. Coughing, leaking air, or stopping early can make the reading less useful, so mention what happened rather than forcing through severe discomfort.

Contact a healthcare professional promptly for new or worsening breathlessness, wheezing that is not settling, coughing up blood, or chest pain. Seek emergency help for severe difficulty breathing, blue or grey lips, fainting, confusion, or an inability to speak in full sentences. These warning signs need clinical assessment regardless of a spirometer reading.

If you feel light-headed, unusually breathless, or develop chest pain during testing, stop and tell the technician immediately. After the appointment, ask how and when your result will be explained, especially if the test was arranged because symptoms are changing.

Ask what the test is intended to investigate, whether you should use your usual inhaler beforehand, and whether your technique produced a reliable reading. You can also ask what the result means in relation to your symptoms, whether another breathing test is needed, and which changes should lead you to seek urgent help.