Lung volume tests
Find out what lung volume tests are used for and what to expect on the day.
2 min read
Looking at:
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How much air your lungs can hold.1
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How much air stays in your lungs when you breathe out fully.1
What to expect:
In a test called body plethysmography, you will be asked to sit in a small, see-through booth, a bit like a phone booth. You then need to breathe through a mouthpiece.2
In a test called the nitrogen washout test, you will be asked to breathe in a mixture of gases through a tube, then blow them out.3
Understanding your results:
Fibrosis may have stiffened your lungs. If they have lost some of their elasticity, they won’t be able to expand as much, and your lung volume might be smaller.
You may also like to read:
Living with lung problems
Monitoring scleroderma
Treatment
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British Lung Foundation. Lung Volume Test. Available: https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/breathing-tests/lung-volume-test [Accessed December 2021].
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Cleveland clinic. Body Plethysmography (Pulmonary Function Test). Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/15467-body-plethysmography-pulmonary-function-test [Accessed December 2021].
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Science Direct. Nitrogen Washout - Topic Overview. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/nitrogen-washout [Accessed December 2021].
"They discovered I had quite severe fibrosis of my lungs. I was referred to a specialist hospital and things have improved with treatment, which is good."
– Mandy