"Check lung function like measuring blood pressure." This test is very important, but many people don't know it!

When we feel dizzy or have a headache, we will think of measuring blood pressure; when we feel heart discomfort, we will do an electrocardiogram; but when you cough, expectorate, feel shortness of breath or chest tightness after walking a few steps, have you ever thought of doing any tests? In fact, these symptoms may be signs of respiratory diseases, and lung function tests are one of the important means of checking these diseases.

Pulmonary function test is the most commonly used, simplest and very effective functional diagnosis and screening method for respiratory diseases . In daily life, we should pay attention to pulmonary function test and check lung function like measuring blood pressure.

1. What is a pulmonary function test?

Pulmonary function test is one of the necessary tests for respiratory diseases. It is mainly used to detect the patency of the airway and the size of the lung capacity. It has important clinical value in early detection of lung and airway lesions, assessment of the severity and prognosis of the disease, evaluation of the efficacy of drugs or other treatments, identification of the cause of dyspnea, diagnosis of lesion sites, assessment of lung function tolerance to surgery or labor intensity, and monitoring of critically ill patients.

In order to provide patients with more considerate services and solve the medical difficulties faced by patients with limited mobility or whose medical conditions do not allow them to move, the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Xiangdong Hospital Affiliated to Hunan Normal University is equipped with a bedside pulmonary function meter, so that patients can complete pulmonary function tests without leaving their beds, truly making medical treatment convenient and worry-free throughout the process.

2. Characteristics of pulmonary function tests

1. No trauma

Compared to bronchoscopy, which is an invasive examination and chest X-ray, which involves radiation, pulmonary function tests are almost non-invasive.

2. Convenient for repeated inspection

The test can be repeated at different times of the day or over a period of time to understand the changes, development and prognosis of the disease.

3. Suitable for the management of chronic respiratory diseases

Pulmonary function tests can be repeated, a feature that makes them play a key role in the management of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. Through repeated examinations, doctors can track and follow up on patients' conditions over the long term, adjust treatment plans in a timely manner, and help patients better control their conditions.

3. Which groups of people need to check their lung function?

1. Long-term smokers

Smoking is one of the important factors leading to lung disease. Long-term smokers should undergo regular lung function tests to detect lung problems early.

2. People with respiratory symptoms

Such as patients with long-term cough, sputum, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, etc., suspected of having respiratory diseases.

3. Patients with chronic diseases

Patients with chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc. need to undergo regular lung function tests to monitor changes in their condition.

4. Occupationally exposed population

Miners, construction workers, medical staff, etc. who are exposed to dust, harmful gases and other occupational environments for a long time need to undergo regular lung function tests.

5. Patients before surgery

Lung function needs to be assessed before anesthesia or surgery, especially thoracic or abdominal surgery.

4. Preparations before the inspection

1. Try to wear loose clothes during the examination. Tight underwear or belts will affect your breathing.

2. You can eat normally on the day of the examination, but avoid drinking strong tea, coffee and cola.

3. Avoid strenuous exercise 30 minutes before the examination.

4. Do not smoke one hour before the examination.

5. For some examination items (such as bronchial provocation test and bronchial dilation test), you need to stop taking related drugs, such as cough suppressants, cold medicines, antiallergic drugs, hormones, etc., 1 to 3 days before the test as required by the doctor.

6. Before the examination, you should inform the doctor of your detailed medical history and basic personal information to eliminate contraindications and factors that may affect the examination.

Let us incorporate lung function testing into our daily health management, be responsible for every breath we take, safeguard lung health with action, start a new chapter of healthy life full of vitality, and let fresh breath accompany us at all times.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Wang Shan, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiangdong Hospital Affiliated to Hunan Normal University

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(Edited by Wx)