NZ Respiratory & Sleep Institute

Spirometry is a test which measures the speed at which your lungs can be filled and emptied of air.  It can be used to diagnose problems of breathing and monitor the usefulness of treatment.

In order to do spirometry, you take a deep breath in and blow out as hard as you can into a hollow tube attached to a spirometer machine for 6 seconds.  You will be asked to do the test 3 times. The whole process takes 10 – 15 minutes depending on whether or not you are given some inhaled medicine and asked to do it again to monitor if there is an improvement.