Espirometría

If you'd like to see more scientifically accurate 3D medical images, subscribe to our channel:    / nucleushealthvideose   MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Spirometry is a test to see how well your lungs are working by measuring how quickly and how much air you can inhale and exhale. Normally, as you breathe in, air moves freely through your trachea, or airway, then through wide tubes called bronchi, smaller tubes called bronchioles, and finally into tiny air sacs called alveoli. Tiny blood vessels, called capillaries, surround your alveoli. Oxygen from the air you breathe passes through your capillaries, and then carbon dioxide from your body passes through your capillaries into an alveolus. You get rid of the carbon dioxide when you exhale. Diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis narrow your bronchioles, reducing the amount of air that reaches your lungs. And diseases such as lung cancer and emphysema can damage your alveoli, reducing the amount of oxygen in your blood. These diseases can make it difficult to breathe. Your doctor may recommend spirometry to identify a disease in your lungs, check the severity of your existing lung disease, or determine if the medications you are taking are helping. During the test, your caregiver will use a device called a spirometer. A spirometer is a machine that measures the air you exhale. Before your spirometry test, you will be seated in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor. If you wear dentures, you may be asked to remove them. For best results, you will be advised to follow your caregiver's instructions exactly. To begin, you will lift your head and chin so that you can breathe more easily. Next, a nose clip will be placed to prevent air from escaping your nostrils. Then, you will take a deep breath, completely filling your lungs with air and holding it. You will place the mouthpiece of the spirometer between your teeth and seal your lips tightly around it. Finally, you will exhale the air out of your lungs as forcefully and quickly as you can, continuing to breathe until your caregiver tells you to stop. If you are an adult, you will blow for at least six seconds. Children 10 years and younger will blow for three seconds. You will need to perform a spirometry test correctly three times to obtain accurate results. ANH13105es