With the global increase of lung diseases such as asthma, severe bronchitis and emphysema, lung function tests are becoming a bigger concern for many people.

Spirometry (measuring lung function) is the most well know pulmonary function test and vital to diagnose COPD. Some of the diseases which can be detected are:

1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – main term used to describe lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis etc.

2. Asthma – common and long-term lung disease characterised by coughing, shortness of breath or wheezing.

3. Chronic bronchitis – bronchial tubes become inflamed and produce an excessive amount of mucus.

4. Emphysema – long-term progressive disease where alveoli in the lungs become inflamed causing shortness of breath.

5. Cystic fibrosis – genetic lung disease characterised by frequent lung infections and coughing up mucus as a result of this.

6. Pulmonary fibrosis - interstitial lungdiseases resulting in the scarring of the lungs.

Doing the test itself is quiet simple and usually involves the patient blowing as hard as possible into a tube which is attached to a spirometer, the main piece of medical equipment used for the test. The results of this lung function test will indicate how healthy the patient’s lungs are.

Pulmonary function monitoring is however, becoming just as simple as taking blood pressure and not necessarily something you have to go to the hospital for anymore. With advances in the field, the big clunky machines of the past have been transformed to, smaller, portable medical devices that are simple to use and have great technological features.

One example of this is Shenzhen Mellow Hope’s Smart Spirometer which can be used in clinics and homes alike. Not only can you connect this device with your smart phone, it also has a cloud based mobile app platform, allowing patients the possibility of self-monitoring and, with the community forum, patients are capable of keeping track of their health with ease while keeping relevant parties informed.

With pulmonary function monitoring in the palm of our hands, lung diseases can now be managed with more precision than ever before.