Pulmonary function testing (also called spirometry) is essential in the diagnosis and ongoing management of asthma. This test will help your asthma specialist to know how well your lungs are doing at baseline and will help show us how your lungs are responding to medication.
It can be a difficult test if you’ve never done it before. You will inhale and then exhale forcefully into a tube, and continue that momentum as long as possible, at least 6 seconds. Your nurse will coach you through it! It is tougher than it sounds, but gives your doctor vital information about the health of your lungs.