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.
Various lung function tests are employed to eliminate serious lung conditions such as bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. They can determine the cause of breathlessness, investigate the effects of medication or airborne contaminants on the lungs and to watch the progress of treatment. They are conducted prior to surgery on the lungs to provide a benchmark of pulmonary function.
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 are a handful of "red flag" signs which, when they occur at the same time as breathlessness, may indicate a serious underlying condition. These include persistent tiredness and pallor, a chronic wheeze or cough, ankle swelling, a pain that gets worse with exercise, breathlessness that worsens when lying down, any other unusual or recurring symptoms. A history of working with hazardous chemical fumes, asbestos, wood dust or in a coal mine is also something worth mentioning to the doctor.
Asthma, a chronic inflammation of the airways, is one of these serious conditions. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta estimate that, at any one time, there are as many as 18.9 million ambulatory adults with asthma. This equates to 8.2 percent of those adults who are not institutionalized.
Once serious causes of breathlessness have been eliminated from the differential diagnosis, many cases can be traced to one of two simple and easily remedied causes, either trigger points, also known as muscle knots, or dysfunctional respiratory habits and weak muscles. The treatment for both is safe, cost-free and easily performed by the patient. It involves a program of exercise and trigger point massage.
A spirometer is an instrument that has been in use for two millennia to detect the cause of breathlessness. It can determine whether it is present and identify whether it is restrictive or obstructive but requires further investigations to rule out the presence of any serious conditions, such as emphysema, asthma or bronchitis. Once these have been eliminated from consideration, they may be attributable to either trigger points or incorrect breathing patterns.
Various lung function tests are employed to eliminate serious lung conditions such as bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. They can determine the cause of breathlessness, investigate the effects of medication or airborne contaminants on the lungs and to watch the progress of treatment. They are conducted prior to surgery on the lungs to provide a benchmark of pulmonary function.
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 are a handful of "red flag" signs which, when they occur at the same time as breathlessness, may indicate a serious underlying condition. These include persistent tiredness and pallor, a chronic wheeze or cough, ankle swelling, a pain that gets worse with exercise, breathlessness that worsens when lying down, any other unusual or recurring symptoms. A history of working with hazardous chemical fumes, asbestos, wood dust or in a coal mine is also something worth mentioning to the doctor.
Asthma, a chronic inflammation of the airways, is one of these serious conditions. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta estimate that, at any one time, there are as many as 18.9 million ambulatory adults with asthma. This equates to 8.2 percent of those adults who are not institutionalized.
Once serious causes of breathlessness have been eliminated from the differential diagnosis, many cases can be traced to one of two simple and easily remedied causes, either trigger points, also known as muscle knots, or dysfunctional respiratory habits and weak muscles. The treatment for both is safe, cost-free and easily performed by the patient. It involves a program of exercise and trigger point massage.
A spirometer is an instrument that has been in use for two millennia to detect the cause of breathlessness. It can determine whether it is present and identify whether it is restrictive or obstructive but requires further investigations to rule out the presence of any serious conditions, such as emphysema, asthma or bronchitis. Once these have been eliminated from consideration, they may be attributable to either trigger points or incorrect breathing patterns.
About the Author:
We are a well-known company specializing in spirometer and everything that is medical related. Visit our homepage at http://www.henanmedical.com to find out all you need to know today.
No comments:
Post a Comment