Spirometry is for diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

It is used to determine how well a persons’ lungs can move oxygen into, and whether it is effectively circulated in the blood stream.

The instrument that is used to determine lung functioning:

A spirometer is used to determine whether the intake and releasing of air through your lungs is still effective.

When you use the meter you must blow into a mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is connected to the spirometer. The amount of air that you exhale as well as the amount that you inhale is measured. The rate of movement of the air is also measured while inhaling and while you exhale.

For a person with healthy lungs the reading on the meter will be high. A reading between 80 and 100 is an indication of healthy lungs. The lower the reading the worse the lung condition will be.

When the reading on the spirometer is less than 35, persons’ lungs are in a very bad condition. If your lungs are that bad you will not live long if you do not get proper medical assistance.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD):

Ninety percent of COPD cases are caused by smoking. The best way to counter COPD will be to stop smoking and then to follow a lung detoxification program.

Normally COPD describes emphysema or chronic bronchitis or both of these conditions.

Emphysema takes place when the alveoli or smaller airways in the lungs are damaged.

Chronic bronchitis again is caused by inflammation in the bronchi (larger airways).

Symptoms of COPD are cough and breathlessness and the best way to diagnose it is by performing a spirometry test.

The meter will detect the condition in an early stage and follow up tests can be done to measure further improvement or destruction of the lungs.

Results obtained by a spirometer:

Four stages of COPD are referred to. These are the mild, moderate, severe and end stages.

Mild stage (stage 1) COPD is the initial stage of the condition with a meter reading between seventy and eighty. You will have a good change of complete recovering from this condition.

Moderate stage (stage 2) COPD registers a reading of 60 to 70 on the spirometer leaving you with a fair change of recovering.

Severe stage (stage 3) COPD will register a reading of between 50 and 60 and to recover from this condition will not be easy.

End stage (stage 4) COPD registers between 35 and 40 on the spirometer and the change of recovering from this condition is not good. If however a person stops smoking and effective treatment does take place, a person can still live for many years.

To conclude spirometry and COPD:

Bearing in mind that smoking is the number one cause of COPD, and that it kills people; the best solution still is and always will be to quit smoking.

With the danger of passive smoke it is advisable to also avoid that as far as possible.

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Return from spirometry to stop smoking effects.

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