Precise Spirometry for Precise Treatment

As the area’s leading provider of pulmonary disease care, Norton Pulmonary Specialists offers a full range of testing options, including spirometry, for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients.

Our board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians use spirometry to measure how fast and how much air moves in and out of your lungs. This is a noninvasive test that helps diagnose lung conditions. Regular spirometry tests can aid in early diagnosis, which often leads to more effective treatment.

With their experience and expertise, the pulmonologists at Norton Pulmonary Specialists can use data from this and other tests to give you a precise diagnosis and customized treatment plan.

Spirometry can help diagnose:

• Asthma
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic pulmonary disease
• Emphysema
• Pulmonary fibrosis

What Happens During a Spirometry Test

During a spirometry test, you’ll breathe deep breaths through a tube attached to the spirometer. The spirometer will measure your airflow.

You’ll likely be seated with a clip on your nose to close your nostrils. You’ll have to take a deep breath and blow out as hard as you can for several seconds. The test takes about 15 minutes.

Before the test, avoid eating a large meal. Wear loose clothing so you can take those deep breaths.

What the Spirometer Measures

Your physician will use a spirometer to measure how much air you can force out after a deep breath. This measure — forced vital capacity or (FVC) — indicates whether you have any restricted breathing.

Another measurement from the spirometer is how much air you can force out in one second. The forced expiratory volume (FEV) measurement, also known as FEV1, helps determine the severity of any breathing problems.

Care That’s Convenient for You

• Our staff includes interventional pulmonologists who are trained and experienced in minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment, including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, meaning you’ll have access to advanced technology for your care.
• We have seven convenient Louisville-area locations: Northeastern Louisville, downtown Louisville, Newburg, Pleasure Ridge Park and Mount Washington, Kentucky; in Southern Indiana, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg.
• We provide pulmonary care and respiratory management of critical care patients at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital.
• Norton Healthcare’s pulmonary rehabilitation program has three locations in Louisville and is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
• We work as a team with referring physicians, including pediatricians.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.

About Norton Pulmonary Specialists

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with Norton Pulmonary Specialists are leaders in caring for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other lung diseases.

• More than two dozen board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience specialize in diagnosis and management of all forms of lung diseases and sleep disorders, so you can get the care you need.
• The Norton Pulmonary Specialists team pursues leading-edge treatments, and our specialists are investigators on many clinical trials that give patients access to the latest treatments.
• Our specialists use robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to perform minimally invasive biopsies of the lung, which allows for greater precision during the important diagnostic procedure.  
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is accredited by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Our providers will give you a precise diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan for your lung condition, so you can get back to living your best life.
• For asthma, your physician will work with you to develop a written asthma action plan to help you manage your symptoms.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more anytime from a computer or mobile device with a free Norton MyChart account.