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A Simple At-Home Breathing Test

© Floyd Tilton

For many people, it's time for their annual physical exam. It's normal for a physician to check your heart, blood pressure, eyes, ears, nose and throat, but very seldom does your physician check your breathing, unless you are already under treatment for COPD. How can we know if this needs to be included in our check-up? What can we do to get an idea if this is something we need to insist on by our physician? Here's a simple way to find out if you have the potential for respiratory problems associated with COPD. Using a stop watch, take a full breath; hold it for a second. Then, with your mouth open, blow out as hard and fast as you can. Your lungs should be completely emptied, meaning that you can blow no more air out even though you try, in no more than 4 to 6 seconds. If it takes you longer to blow out all the air, it means that airflow is obstructed or limited. Now, isn't that simple?

If you don't pass this simple test, insist that your doctor perform a simple and scientific breathing test. Today, very simple devices for measuring lung capacity are becoming popular. One such device is called a peak flow meter, which measures the greatest airflow rate you can produce. Note that the man's peak flow is 600 liters per minute and the woman's is 370 liters per minute. Both are normal. The lower flow rate for the woman is because of her shorter stature and female sex. Some doctors even tell their patients to use a peak flow meters at home to study their responses to treatments designed to open up the air passages.

Another simple method of measuring blood oxygen is with an instrument called an oximeter, which is widely used today. It is popular because it does not require arterial blood sampling. However, it is not as accurate as arterial blood measurements and it tells nothing about the levels of carbon dioxide or acid in the blood. The pulse oximeter measures blood oxygen by reflected light. This test is easy and painless and will be much more widely used in the future.

Both of these tests are widely available, if you ask for them, but your physician may not prescribe them unless you ask. Neither of them is painful nor do they require any effort to administer. If you didn't pass the simple self-test, ask you doctor to investigate further.

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