Pulmonary

Commonly known as lung function tests, pulmonary function tests determine how well your lungs work. At the Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia, these tests can help our board-certified asthma specialists gather crucial information about your lungs, including:

• How much air your lungs can hold.
• How quickly your respiratory system moves air in and out of the lungs.
• How effectively your lungs remove carbon dioxide and put oxygen into the blood.

Types of Lung Function Tests

The Atlanta asthma specialists at the Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia use a variety of techniques to test pulmonary function, including:

Spirometry

Spirometry, one of the most commonly performed lung function tests, measures how much and how efficiently you can move air in and out of your lungs. During this test, patients are first asked to take a deep breath, and then exhale into a mouthpiece that is attached to a device called a spirometer. The spirometer measures and records the amount of air that you can exhale with one breath, and the speed at which you are able to move air out of the lungs.

Spirometry is also used to document “normal” airway function, and to determine how well a particular therapy or course of treatment is working.

Methacholine Challenge

A methacholine challenge is another test that determines how well the lungs function. In patients with asthma, methacholine causes the airways to involuntarily contract.

During a methacholine challenge, patients are asked to inhale larger and larger amounts of a methacholine aerosol mist; after each dose, one of our asthma specialists will use a spirometer to measure any changes in your lung function. If lung function drops by at least 20%, then the test is considered positive.

Contact an Asthma Specialist in Atlanta

If you suspect that you or your child suffers from asthma, contact the board-certified doctors at the Center for Allergy and Asthma for a thorough evaluation. Patients may request an appointment via phone at (770) 459-0620, or via our online contact form. We have convenient locations in Carrollton, Hiram, Griffin, Villa Rica, Newnan, Smyrna/Vinings, Peachtree City/Fayetteville, Acworth/Kennesaw, and Douglasville Georgia.