In the outpatient clinic, some patients often say: “Doctor, every time I catch a cold, it takes a long time to get better. Isn’t my physique too bad?” Other patients will say that they are like a spittoon, “There is always spitting out. “; There are also middle-aged and elderly patients who have chest tightness and shortness of breath when they climb stairs or walk a little farther, and then they have questions-is this because they are older? At this time, the doctor will recommend them to do a lung function test. In recent years, pulmonary function tests have increasingly entered the public’s field of vision, but the awareness of correct understanding and correct cooperation with doctors in carrying out pulmonary function tests needs to be strengthened.
What exactly does lung function check? In fact, the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of COPD is lung function tests. At present, there are two main types of instruments used to detect lung function. The small and easy-to-carry instruments are called “small lungs”, and the larger and full-featured instruments are called “large lungs”. Patients with suspected COPD , It is recommended to take the data of “Lung” as the standard. Taking the “big lung” as an example, the lung function test can check these items: lung volume, lung ventilation function, lung ventilation function, airway resistance, airway responsiveness, exercise cardiopulmonary function, and respiratory muscle strength.
For a long time, “vital capacity” is a concept that everyone is familiar with, and it frequently appears in school physical examinations. Pulmonary function tests also need to “inflate”, but vital capacity is only a small part of lung function tests. In layman’s terms, lung function test is to see whether the lung elasticity is good (normal lungs are like sponges, very soft), whether the large and small airways are unobstructed, whether the airways are very sensitive, whether the oxygen in the air is enough for the whole body, and the chest. Does the upper respiratory muscle have the strength and how much exercise load the lung function can satisfy? It is closely related to one inhalation and exhalation. When the lung function is impaired, the breathing becomes less relaxed. The doctor captures the patient between the breaths. Changes in the lungs.
The lung function test is a physical examination method that does not cause any damage to the body, nor does it cause pain or discomfort. Compared with chest X-ray, CT and other examinations, pulmonary function examination focuses more on understanding the functional changes of the lungs and is an important examination method for respiratory diseases. Chest X-ray and CT can be imagined as an artistic photo. We can only see the external characteristics of the characters in the photo, such as men and women, young and old, long and short hair, wearing or not wearing glasses, but the character in the photo is good or bad, and the level of ability is different. It is impossible to see, so the lung function test is to further understand the characteristics and function of the lungs. Therefore, chest X-ray and CT cannot replace lung function tests. Only when the two are combined can we understand the lungs clearly.
It is currently clinically recommended that the health checkup for people over 40 years old should include a lung function test every year. If you have any of the 8 items of smoking, repeated coughing, sputum expectoration, chest tightness, shortness of breath, family history of COPD, seasonal cough and wheezing, chest X-ray or CT abnormalities, you must test your lung function even more. Be careful of COPD The lungs have quietly stared at you.
The pulmonary function test process is very short. If you are doing a bronchodilation test or a full set of pulmonary function tests, you need to take the drug “Vantolin” to the pulmonary function room. Then just relax and follow the doctor’s instructions to complete “Inhale”, “Exhale”, “Strong inhale”, “Exhale hard” and other actions can be done. After you finish, wait a moment to get the lung function report.
