Tests that show how healthy your lungs are. Dr. Cristian Oancea: It indicates the degree of damage

In the context of increasing concerns for respiratory health and lung disease prevention, functional respiratory exploration has become an essential component of medical evaluation. Dr. Cristian Oancea, pulmonology primary physician, emphasizes the importance of these non-invasive and painless investigations in the detection and monitoring of various lung conditions.

The doctor emphasizes that these investigations must be non-invasive and painless, encouraging everyone with respiratory symptoms to perform at least one spirometry, including apparently healthy smokers.

“First of all, respiratory functional exploration is carried out by non-invasive, painless methods and we encourage in this way all those who develop or have respiratory symptoms to do at least one spirometry. Especially smokers, who apparently do not have symptoms, would do well to take this test”, Dr. Cristian Oancea told us exclusively for DC Medical.

Starting from spirometry as a basic investigation, the medical office can also perform other tests, such as oscillometry, body plethysmography, alveolar diffusion and FeNo dosing, all of which provide information about the functionality of the lung and the degree of damage to it.

“Starting from spirometry (which represents a basic investigation) and depending on the facilities of the offices, oscillometry, body plethysmography, alveolar diffusion, FeNo dosing can be performed. All these investigations show us the functional state of the lung and the degree of damage both at the higher level and at the level of the lung parenchyma”, the doctor also told us.

Dr. Oancea points out that if radiography and computed tomography identify visual pathological changes, functional tests provide additional information about the percentage of functional lung.

This information is crucial for establishing diagnoses such as bronchial asthma or COPD, and for monitoring the evolution of conditions such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis or cystic fibrosis. It also states that these tests should not be performed during a respiratory infection.

“If through X-rays and computer tomography of the lungs we identify certain pathological changes but only visual ones (for example pulmonary emphysema) the functional tests also show us the percentage of the lung that is still functional and are vital both when establishing respiratory diagnoses (for example bronchial asthma or COPD ), but also to monitor various pathologies (COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, etc.).

It is not recommended to perform these tests when the patient has a respiratory infection”, explained Dr. Cristian Oancea.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow DCMedical on Google News as well

Did this article help you?

Follow the DCMedical Facebook page and the DCMedical Health Dose Instagram page and access more useful content for your health, disease prevention and treatment, first aid measures and useful advice from doctors and patients.