Shortness of breath is one of the main complaints that sends people to the doctor's office. One of the tools used to help diagnose the cause of breathlessness is called a spirometer. This is a kind of pulmonary function monitor (PFM) and measures the volume of air inspired and expired through the lungs. The printed output from the device is a graph, and this can indicate whether the breathing dysfunction is restrictive or obstructive. Spirometers are constructed differently to enable different strategies for measuring the movement of air (pressure transducers, ultrasound, water gauge).
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.
The prominent Roman physician, Claudius Galen, performed the first lung function test some time in the second century AD. He asked a boy to inhale and exhale into a bladder. Later variants featured bell jars inverted in water. Modern PFMs include the pneumotachometer, the peak flow meter and a whole body plethysmograph.
Most causes of shortness of breath are benign and easily reversible. First, it is essential to rule out more sinister causes. The Mayo Clinic defines shortness of breath as a severe tightening of the chest and a sensation of being suffocated. There may be a single episode or there may be a pattern of episodes.
Along with instrumentation, there are a half dozen or more so-called "red flag" symptoms and signs that may herald a serious lung condition. These include persistent pallor and fatigue, swollen ankles, a chronic wheeze or cough, having a hard time breathing when lying flat, pain worsening with activity, or any other persistent or strange symptoms. A history of working in an environment where there is asbestos, wood dust, hazardous chemical fumes or in a coal mine might also contribute to a lung disorder.
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.
The spirometer is a device that has been in use for nearly two thousand years for the detection of breathlessness. It can identify whether breathlessness is present, but further investigations are required to rule out serious conditions like asthma. Once sinister problems have been ruled out, the cause of shortness of breath is most likely a combination of trigger points and dysfunctional breathing technique. This can be easily remedied with a regime of trigger point massage and breathing exercises.
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.
The prominent Roman physician, Claudius Galen, performed the first lung function test some time in the second century AD. He asked a boy to inhale and exhale into a bladder. Later variants featured bell jars inverted in water. Modern PFMs include the pneumotachometer, the peak flow meter and a whole body plethysmograph.
Most causes of shortness of breath are benign and easily reversible. First, it is essential to rule out more sinister causes. The Mayo Clinic defines shortness of breath as a severe tightening of the chest and a sensation of being suffocated. There may be a single episode or there may be a pattern of episodes.
Along with instrumentation, there are a half dozen or more so-called "red flag" symptoms and signs that may herald a serious lung condition. These include persistent pallor and fatigue, swollen ankles, a chronic wheeze or cough, having a hard time breathing when lying flat, pain worsening with activity, or any other persistent or strange symptoms. A history of working in an environment where there is asbestos, wood dust, hazardous chemical fumes or in a coal mine might also contribute to a lung disorder.
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.
The spirometer is a device that has been in use for nearly two thousand years for the detection of breathlessness. It can identify whether breathlessness is present, but further investigations are required to rule out serious conditions like asthma. Once sinister problems have been ruled out, the cause of shortness of breath is most likely a combination of trigger points and dysfunctional breathing technique. This can be easily remedied with a regime of trigger point massage and breathing exercises.
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