Shortness of breath is a common reason why people visit the doctor. It can also be a diagnostic minefield. One of the first tests to be performed will be the use of a spirometer to identify the presence of abnormal breathing patterns, which may be either restrictive or obstructive. The instrument is a general term for a wide variety of strategies for measuring the movement of air into and out of the lungs (pressure transducers, ultrasound, water gauge). Modern spirometers, or pulmonary function monitors (PFMs) may be PC-based or standalone devices.
Lung function tests are utilized to eliminate the presence of serious pulmonary conditions such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. They are also performed to assess the influence on the lungs of medications or ambient contaminants, to help determine the cause of breathlessness and to evaluate the progress of treatments. Lung function tests are also performed before surgery on the lungs to take benchmark measurements of lung activity.
Noted Roman physician, Claudius Galen, was the first to assess lung function. Some time during the second century AD, he got a boy to breath in and out into a bladder. Years later, people used inverted bell jars in water. Modern instruments include whole body plethysmography, peak flow meters and a device called a pneumotachometer.
The vast majority of lung conditions are not serious and are easily treatable. It is important first to rule out a serious condition underlying the breathlessness. According to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, shortness of breath is defined as an intense feeling of chest tightness accompanied by a feeling of suffocation. This can occur in a single instance or it may have a more chronic pattern.
There half a dozen or so red flag symptoms which, in conjunction with shortness of breath, may point to a serious problem. These red flags include being pale or tired all the time, a chronic cough or wheeze, swollen ankles, difficulty breathing when lying flat, a pain that worsens with exercise, a history of working around asbestos, industrial fumes, wood dust, or in a coal mine and any other persistent or unusual symptoms. If you experience any of the above, then you should consult your doctor.
Asthma is a chronic condition involving inflammation of the airways. It is potentially serious and may be fatal. According to the CDC in Georgia, at any one time in the United States there are 18.9 million non-institutionalized adults diagnosed with this condition. This amounts to 8.2% of the population.
Once all serious problems have been eliminated from consideration, many cases of shortness of breath can be attributed to one of two causes, muscle knots (aka trigger points) or dysfunctional breathing habits together with weak muscles. Treatment includes exercises to strengthen the muscles. For trigger points, therapy involves massage, which is almost always successful.
Invented shortly after Christ walked the Earth, the spirometer is a handy tool for diagnosing the cause of shortness of breath. It can determine the presence of abnormal ventilation, but further tests are often required to eliminate from consideration conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, among others. Most cases of breathlessness stem from an easily treatable condition, either trigger points, dysfunctional breathing patterns or a combination of the two.
Lung function tests are utilized to eliminate the presence of serious pulmonary conditions such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. They are also performed to assess the influence on the lungs of medications or ambient contaminants, to help determine the cause of breathlessness and to evaluate the progress of treatments. Lung function tests are also performed before surgery on the lungs to take benchmark measurements of lung activity.
Noted Roman physician, Claudius Galen, was the first to assess lung function. Some time during the second century AD, he got a boy to breath in and out into a bladder. Years later, people used inverted bell jars in water. Modern instruments include whole body plethysmography, peak flow meters and a device called a pneumotachometer.
The vast majority of lung conditions are not serious and are easily treatable. It is important first to rule out a serious condition underlying the breathlessness. According to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, shortness of breath is defined as an intense feeling of chest tightness accompanied by a feeling of suffocation. This can occur in a single instance or it may have a more chronic pattern.
There half a dozen or so red flag symptoms which, in conjunction with shortness of breath, may point to a serious problem. These red flags include being pale or tired all the time, a chronic cough or wheeze, swollen ankles, difficulty breathing when lying flat, a pain that worsens with exercise, a history of working around asbestos, industrial fumes, wood dust, or in a coal mine and any other persistent or unusual symptoms. If you experience any of the above, then you should consult your doctor.
Asthma is a chronic condition involving inflammation of the airways. It is potentially serious and may be fatal. According to the CDC in Georgia, at any one time in the United States there are 18.9 million non-institutionalized adults diagnosed with this condition. This amounts to 8.2% of the population.
Once all serious problems have been eliminated from consideration, many cases of shortness of breath can be attributed to one of two causes, muscle knots (aka trigger points) or dysfunctional breathing habits together with weak muscles. Treatment includes exercises to strengthen the muscles. For trigger points, therapy involves massage, which is almost always successful.
Invented shortly after Christ walked the Earth, the spirometer is a handy tool for diagnosing the cause of shortness of breath. It can determine the presence of abnormal ventilation, but further tests are often required to eliminate from consideration conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, among others. Most cases of breathlessness stem from an easily treatable condition, either trigger points, dysfunctional breathing patterns or a combination of the two.
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