What should you know about spirometer tube?

The tube creates a pathway between your mouth and the spirometer. Depending on the equipment, it may connect to a disposable mouthpiece, a filter, or a chamber that shows a moving marker. Air leaks around your lips can make a reading unreliable and reduce the value of a breathing exercise.

A tube is not the same as an oxygen tube or an inhaler spacer. It does not deliver medicine by itself. Use only the parts supplied or approved for your device, because an altered connection can change airflow or make cleaning difficult.

Wash your hands, sit comfortably, and place the mouthpiece between your teeth without biting it. Close your lips around it and breathe exactly as instructed. Do not force air through a blocked, cracked, loose, or visibly dirty tube.

Follow the product instructions for washing, drying, replacing, or disposing of the tube. Some components are single-patient or single-use. Never share a mouthpiece, and do not put a part back into its case while damp. Tell the clinic if the connection does not fit securely.

Stop using the device and get urgent help if you develop severe breathlessness, fainting, blue or grey lips, sudden confusion, or heavy chest pressure. Arrange medical advice for new wheezing, fever with a worsening cough, coughing blood, or pain that persists after you stop.

Ask whether your tube is reusable, how it should be disinfected, how to recognise a poor seal, and which replacement part is compatible. Ask for a demonstration if the marker does not move or the airflow feels blocked.