The future of lung function tests for COPD | Drugdu.com

With the global increase of lung diseases such as asthma, severe bronchitis and emphysema, lung function tests are becoming a bigger concern for many people.

Spirometry (measuring lung function) is the most well know pulmonary function test and vital to diagnose COPD. Some of the diseases which can be detected are:

1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – the main term used to describe lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis etc.

2. Asthma – common and long-term lung disease characterized by coughing, shortness of breath or wheezing.

3. Chronic bronchitis – bronchial tubes become inflamed and produce an excessive amount of mucus.

4. Emphysema – the long-term progressive disease where alveoli in the lungs become inflamed causing shortness of breath.

5. Cystic fibrosis – genetic lung disease characterized by frequent lung infections and coughing up mucus as a result of this.

6. Pulmonary fibrosis - interstitial lung diseases resulting in the scarring of the lungs.

Doing the test itself is quite simple and usually involves the patient blowing as hard as possible into a tube which is attached to a spirometer, the main piece of medical equipment used for the test. The results of this lung function test will indicate how healthy the patient’s lungs are.

Pulmonary function monitoring is, however, becoming just as simple as taking blood pressure and not necessarily something you have to go to the hospital for anymore. With advances in the field, the big clunky machines of the past have been transformed too, smaller, portable medical devices that are simple to use and have great technological features.

One example of this is Shenzhen Mellow Hope’s Smart Spirometer which can be used in clinics and homes alike. Not only can you connect this device with your smartphone, it also has a cloud-based mobile app platform, allowing patients the possibility of self-monitoring and, with the community forum, patients are capable of keeping track of their health with ease while keeping relevant parties informed.

With pulmonary function monitoring in the palm of our hands, lung diseases can now be managed with more precision than ever before.

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