Types of spirometry test

Standard spirometry records how much air you can breathe out and how quickly you can move it. A clinician may ask for several forceful breaths through a spirometer, with coaching to make each attempt reliable.

Bronchodilator spirometry repeats the measurements after medicine that relaxes airway muscle. Comparing the two sets can show whether airflow changes with the medicine. Serial spirometry repeats testing over time when symptoms vary, while exercise or other challenge testing may be considered when ordinary readings do not explain symptoms.

Wear comfortable clothing and tell the testing team about recent illness, chest pain, fainting, breathing difficulty, smoking, and any inhalers or other medicines. Follow the clinic's instructions about whether to pause a medicine; do not stop prescribed treatment without checking first.

During the test, seal your lips around the mouthpiece, breathe in as directed, and keep blowing until told to stop. Temporary coughing, light-headedness, or tiredness can occur, so mention discomfort promptly. Results are interpreted with your symptoms and examination rather than in isolation.

Tell the clinician immediately if breathing becomes markedly worse, you develop chest pain, feel faint, or cannot recover after an attempt. Seek urgent medical care for severe breathlessness at rest, blue or grey lips, confusion, or difficulty speaking in full sentences.

Arrange follow-up if a persistent cough, wheeze, or reduced exercise tolerance continues. Spirometry can support assessment of conditions such as Asthma, COPD, Bronchiectasis, or Chronic Cough, but it does not by itself identify every cause.

Ask which type of spirometry is planned, whether your medicines need special instructions, what the numbers mean for your symptoms, and when you will receive the interpretation. You can also ask whether a Spirometer demonstration or full Spirometry appointment would help you understand the process.