When Would I Need Pulmonary Function Testing?

Pulmonary functions are essential to life. You breathe in air for its oxygen content, and your lungs work to transfer oxygen to the bloodstream, where it’s distributed throughout the body. It’s a process you likely give little thought to until something goes wrong. 

When you have trouble breathing or question how well your lungs are working, pulmonary function testing is a noninvasive way to assess lung efficiency. The efficient capture and transfer of oxygen are central to how your body works. 

At Medical Associates of North Texas, our team specializes in pulmonary function testing. We frequently recommend testing for our patients who have difficulty breathing to the degree that it interferes with their daily life and ability to get through the day. This month, let’s discuss the testing process and when it might apply to your health and well-being. 

Pulmonary function testing (PFT)

A pulmonary function test isn’t a single, standard procedure. The most common PFT is spirometry, a measure of the amount of air you inhale and exhale. It also aids in estimating how much air your lungs hold. Spirometry also reveals the force with which you can exhale, giving an excellent overview of your lung function. 

Other types of PFT include: 

• Body plethysmography: A detailed assessment of lung volume throughout your breathing cycle
• Cardiopulmonary exercise test: An assessment of heart and lungs working together
• Gas diffusion study: A measurement of the transfer of oxygen and other gasses to your bloodstream

We provide spirometry testing on site in our Fort Worth office, which takes about 15 minutes.

When would I need pulmonary function testing? 

The most obvious time you’d require PFT is when you’ve got noticeable breathing issues. These can include: 

• Breathing difficulties, including struggles to take deep breaths
• Pain, pressure, or tightness in your chest
• Coughing that produces phlegm
• Dyspnea, commonly known as shortness of breath
• Wheezing

There are also situations where you have no breathing symptoms, such as a routine medical checkup, where we might recommend a PFT. 

PFT may be a regular part of your medical care if you have certain medical conditions or if we’re diagnosing these conditions. Some of the illnesses for which PFT is important include: 

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Emphysema
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Respiratory infections
• Restricted breathing associated with conditions like scoliosis or tumors
• Sarcoidosis
• Scleroderma

You may also need PFT before surgery to evaluate your risk of respiratory complications.  

What can spirometry reveal?

A quick spirometry test can do more than simply measure your lung volume. With a history of PFT over time, we can identify changes in lung function that might suggest the onset of a chronic lung disease. Early identification of any condition can help improve treatment and long-term prognosis. 

Spirometry helps to detect the narrowing of the airways for asthma patients and assess the potential for how well inhaled medications may work. If you’ve been exposed to substances that alter lung function, we can often discover this with a spirometry test in our offices. 

Call or click to schedule a consultation with Medical Associates of North Texas when you have concerns about the condition of your breathing and pulmonary functions. We’ll test, diagnose, and treat you as needed, so book your visit now.