Know Which Spirometer To Use

By Marsha Klein


Life today has become easier and safer due to the scientific advances that we see today. Our lungs are one of the irreplaceable organs that we have in our bodies. Today we see that there are many diseases that can harm our lungs more than any other organ. This is why it is necessary to have a regular check on our lung functions. There is one device that can help you check your lung function easily, this device is the spirometer.

Talking about this kind of device does not limit us to just a single kind of machine. There are many different kinds of this machine that can help measure your lung functioning. A few of the devices require the patient to breathe in controlled environment. But the Pneumotachometer does not have such requirements. You can use this device anywhere you want, so it is an easily portable device.

Another common device is the whole body plethysmograph. This device requires the patient to occupy an enclosed space, generally the size of a telephone booth. Having been placed in the enclosed space, the patient is given a device to breath into and out of. As the patient breathes in and out the meter records the air breathed in and out.

The electronic version device does not require moving parts or meshes. The device measures the speed of air flow. Using ultrasonic transducers or by measuring pressure change the machine can offer accurate measurements.

Since measuring lung capacity may not be enough for many recovering patients, there are devices that can help patients recover. The Incentive Spirometers are devices that patients need to blow into and hold the breath for a few seconds. After which there is a backflow. This backflow helps pop the alveoli that help breathing.

At times it is necessary to have a hand held device that can be carried around. The peak flow device is such a device. The peak flow device measures the flow of air to tell you about your lung capacity and functioning. If there is any blockage then this device can detect it by detecting a drop in the air pressure. So, it is an effective device when it comes to measuring air flow.

The wind mill or spiropet is another kind of the device that can help measure lung capacity and air flow. The machine does not use any kind of fluid to make the measurements. There is a rotating disc; this is why the equipment must be layed flat to get the correct measurements. If the device is held in any other way then the vital capacity might be measured incorrect thus making the device useless.

Similarly the tilt type spirometer needs to be held in a slightly angular horizontal position. This position is the correct position in which the device must be held while the measurement is taken. If the device is moved even a bit then the measurements may be off. There are devices that you can use all by yourself. In all you can trust these devices to give you the right lung readings.




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