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Pulmonary Function Test PFT
A pulmonary function test, better known as a PFT, evaluates how well your lungs work. The purpose of the test is to determine how much air you can hold in your lungs, how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs, and how well your lungs function to put oxygen into your blood and remove carbon dioxide from your lungs. Pulmonary function tests are done when a doctor suspects you suffer from pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, or pulmonary edema.
The most common pulmonary function test is the Spirometry which measures how much and how quickly you can move air in and out of your lungs. A reduction in oxygen taken into your lungs can be a sign of pulmonary hypertension.
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Pulmonary function tests are performed to determine the cause of breathing problems, diagnose pulmonary disease, evaluate a person’s lung function, monitor the lung function of someone who is exposed to substances that can damage the lungs, and to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for pulmonary disease. Abnormal results from a pulmonary function test typically mean that you have some kind of pulmonary disease. Further tests will be ordered by the doctor to determine the extent of the pulmonary disease and to determine a course of treatment.
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