Spirometry

What is spirometry?

Spirometry is a simple in-office test that’s used to check how well your lungs are functioning by measuring how much and how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs.

What does lung function have to do with my heart health?

Every part of your body needs oxygenated blood to survive. The air you inhale is transferred to your blood in tiny sacs within the lungs called alveoli. This oxygen-rich blood is then carried to the heart which pumps it out to the rest of your body.

Lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) make it hard to breathe and reduce the quantity of air you’re able to take in. This can affect your heart health. Many heart conditions also cause complications that interfere with normal lung function.

Heart problems that may affect your breathing include:

• Congestive heart failure (CHF): Generalized weakening of the heart that reduces its ability to pump blood properly
• Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT): Abnormally fast heart rate that occurs when electrical signals in your heart aren’t firing correctly
• Pulmonary edema: Buildup of fluid in your lungs related to heart conditions that limit the heart’s ability to pump the blood it receives from the lungs to the rest of your body
• Cardiomyopathy: Related to diseases of the heart muscle that may cause it to become enlarged, rigid, or impaired by scar tissue that reduces its ability to function

Your cardiologist uses spirometry to help gauge the effects your heart is having on your lung health and/or to determine whether your lung function is affecting your heart health.

What is a spirometry test like?

During a spirometry test, you breathe into a mouthpiece that’s connected to a machine called a spirometer. For portions of the test, you breathe in and out normally. During other phases of the test, you’re asked to inhale until you feel you’ve filled your lungs to capacity and then to forcefully exhale, emptying your lungs as rapidly as possible.

The spirometer records the readings and your doctor reviews the results. A spirometry is a painless diagnostic tool that can provide valuable information about your lung function and how that relates to your heart health.

For cardiac care you can trust, schedule a visit at Advanced Heart & Vascular Specialists today. Call the office or book your visit online.