If you have trouble breathing, your doctor may recommend you see a pulmonologist for help diagnosing and treating the underlying condition. Oftentimes, the doctor will use a combination of respiratory diagnostic tests to help with the diagnosis. Our respiratory team offers a variety of diagnostic tests to help diagnose lung conditions.
Some tests are performed by a hospital’s cardiopulmonary department to measure lung function. These tests may include:
- Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)
- Six Minute Walk Test
During a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), you’ll be asked perform a series of different breathing maneuvers into a machine to measure your lung volumes. This non-invasive test doesn’t require any special preparation, but will require you to follow simple instructions for each maneuver. The PFT results help your physician decide if you may benefit from a breathing medicine or if your current breathing medicine is helping.
The Six Minute Walk Test simply asks the patient to walk with a small probe on their finger. The probe reads the oxygen level in their body. These test results help your physician determine if you may need oxygen at home while walking or doing daily activities.
Some tests are performed by a radiology or surgery department. These tests can help give us information about the physical condition of your lungs.
These tests may include:
- Chest X-ray
- CT scan
- Endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy
How to Get Care
For a referral to a pulmonologist, use our Physician Finder. If your doctor has ordered a respiratory diagnostic test, call Lake Health’s Centralized Scheduling Department at 866-652-5253 to make an appointment.
