What should you know about spirometry in bronchial asthma?

Asthma often causes variable narrowing of the airways, so spirometry may be normal between episodes. During testing, the clinician compares your airflow with expected values and may repeat the test after an inhaled reliever. Improvement can support an asthma assessment, while an unchanged result does not by itself exclude asthma. Symptoms, triggers, examination, and other tests may all contribute to the clinical picture.

Bring your inhalers and a medicine list. Ask in advance whether any inhaler needs to be paused and for how long; keep using prescribed treatment unless your clinician gives different instructions. Describe recent wheeze, night symptoms, exercise-related tightness, allergies, or a respiratory infection. During each manoeuvre, follow the coaching and report coughing, chest discomfort, or dizziness.

Use your asthma action plan and seek urgent help if your reliever is not helping, breathing is rapidly worsening, you cannot speak in full sentences, or your lips look blue or grey. Emergency symptoms take priority over a planned spirometry appointment. Arrange a review for repeated night waking, increasing reliever use, or symptoms limiting ordinary activities.

Ask whether your test supports asthma, how the result relates to your symptoms, what to do before future testing, and which warning signs should trigger urgent care.