Spirometry (lung function test)

About direction

A lung function test shows how much air your lungs hold and how fast you can blow it out. You breathe through a mouthpiece into a device. It measures air volumes and flow and draws a curve called a spirogram. That is why spirometry and spirography mean the same test in practice. No blood. No needles. No radiation. It takes 15 to 20 minutes. At Oberig Clinic we use a computerized JAEGER spirometer from Germany. It runs the full range of tests, including drug and exercise tests.

What spirometry shows

The test answers two main questions. First, are your airways narrowed (obstruction), so air struggles to get out? That is how asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) show up. Second, is your lung volume reduced (restriction), so the lungs cannot fully expand? That happens with lung scarring, chest wall problems or after surgery.

Spirometry can hint at restriction, but it cannot fully prove it. If your numbers point that way, the doctor may add a chest CT or other lung tests to find the cause. Obstruction, on the other hand, spirometry confirms on its own, and that is the most common question doctors ask of it.

Doctors cannot diagnose asthma or COPD without it. Dozens of conditions cause cough and breathlessness. This curve shows whether the airways are to blame. The test also tracks treatment, checks your risk before surgery under general anesthesia, and is part of checkups for smokers and people who work with dust or chemicals.

If you smoke, know this. COPD creeps up over years. Breathlessness appears only when a big part of lung function is already gone. Spirometry spots the change years earlier. If you have smoked for more than 10 years and cough in the mornings, get tested even without other symptoms. Quitting at this stage slows the loss of lung function a lot, and the test result is often the push people need.

The numbers and what they mean

Results come in liters and liters per second. The software compares them with predicted values for your sex, age, height and weight. The key ones:

Measure	What it means	Rough normal
VC	vital capacity, how much air you can breathe out after the deepest breath in	80% of predicted or more
FVC	the same volume, blown out as hard and fast as you can	80% of predicted or more
FEV1	how much air leaves in the first second of a forced breath out	80% of predicted or more
FEV1/FVC	the key sign of obstruction	0.70 or higher in adults
PEF	peak expiratory flow, your fastest breath out	80% of predicted or more
MEF 25, 50, 75	flow at different stages of the breath, small airway function	the doctor assesses

These figures are a rough guide. Predicted values differ in children, older people and athletes, so a doctor always reads the result alongside your symptoms.

Normal results

Normally FEV1 and FVC are 80% of predicted or more, and FEV1/FVC in adults is at least 0.70. The software works out the predicted values for your age, sex and height. The same liters can be normal for one person and low for another. Numbers alone do not make a diagnosis. A doctor does. A report saying "lung function normal" or "no ventilatory impairment" means your airways and lungs work fine.

A normal result does not always rule out asthma. Between attacks the airways can be wide open. The doctor may then repeat the test when you have symptoms or order a challenge test.

When doctors order it

Reasons include a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks, breathlessness on effort or at rest, wheezing, choking attacks, frequent bronchitis, a long smoking history and work with dust, paint or chemicals. The test is also done before surgery under general anesthesia, before planned chest procedures and as part of checkups.

Many people put off the test because the cough "is just a smoker's cough" or "comes from a cold that never quite went away". That is exactly when spirometry helps. It turns a vague complaint into numbers, and numbers show whether the problem is getting better or worse with treatment.

Asthma

Asthma typically shows obstruction that disappears or shrinks a lot after an inhaled reliever. The bronchodilator test shows exactly that. Repeat tests tell your doctor if the disease is well controlled and if the dose can change.

COPD

In COPD the obstruction stays after the reliever. FEV1/FVC remains below 0.70. FEV1 sets the severity of COPD and shows how it changes over the years.

Extra tests

A resting test shows how your airways work right now. Extra tests answer a different question: how do they react to medicine and to exercise? The answer shapes the diagnosis and the treatment.

Bronchodilator test

First you do a standard test. Then you inhale a drug that opens the airways (we use Ventolin), and after 15 to 20 minutes you repeat the test. If FEV1 rises by at least 12% and 200 ml, the test is positive. The narrowing is reversible, which points to asthma. A pulmonologist or allergist orders it. You usually pause your own reliever inhalers beforehand, but the doctor will tell you how and for how long. Do not stop any medicine on your own. Bring your inhalers with you in case you need them.

Exercise test

In some people, especially children and athletes, the airways narrow during or after running, not at rest. A child starts coughing in PE class and tires fast, but a resting test is normal. Then we do an exercise challenge. You do a baseline test, a measured exercise session, then several repeat tests. A drop in FEV1 after exercise confirms exercise-induced asthma. Wear comfortable shoes and sportswear for it. For parents, this often answers an old question: why can my child not keep up at running or swimming? Once the diagnosis is clear and treatment starts, most children go back to sport with no limits.

How to prepare

Prep is simple, but skipping it can skew the result:

come in the morning, at least 2 hours after a light breakfast,
do not smoke for 24 hours before the test or drink alcohol for 48 hours,
on the day, skip strong coffee and exercise,
wear clothes that do not press on your chest or belly,
if you use inhalers, ask your doctor in advance whether to pause them.

If you recently had a cold or bronchitis, wait 2 to 3 weeks. After an infection the airways overreact for a while, and the result will look worse than it really is.

What happens during the test

The doctor measures your height and weight and enters them into the software. A soft clip goes on your nose so air leaves only through your mouth. You seal your lips around a single-use mouthpiece and breathe calmly. Then, on command, you take the deepest breath you can and blow out as hard and fast as possible, all the way. Like blowing out birthday candles. Keep going for at least 6 seconds.

You repeat this 3 or 4 times, and the software picks the best try. Your effort decides the accuracy, so the doctor coaches you through every step. You may feel a little dizzy after the deep breaths. It passes fast. Rest and sip water between tries. Children get extra coaching and lots of praise, which helps them give their best breath. A parent can stay in the room the whole time.

Reading the results

The report has a table of values in percent of predicted, a flow-volume curve and a conclusion. The doctor notes whether there is a problem, what type (obstructive, restrictive or mixed), how severe, and whether the bronchodilator test was positive. The shape of the curve also tells an experienced doctor where the airways narrow and where the effort was simply too weak.

Obstruction severity depends on FEV1. At 80% of predicted or more it is mild, 50 to 79% moderate, 30 to 49% severe, below 30% very severe. A pulmonologist or allergist makes the final call together with your symptoms, an exam and, if needed, a chest X-ray or CT. If asthma is confirmed, the doctor will set up long-term treatment and follow-up.

Common questions

Can children have it?

Yes, usually from age 5 or 6, once a child can follow instructions. The doctor turns the breathing into a game. Children have a separate exercise test item.

How often should it be repeated?

With asthma and COPD, usually once a year or when treatment changes. The test is done the same way each time.

Does it hurt?

No. The only effort is breathing hard. Some people cough after a forced breath out, and that is normal.

Can I eat before the test?

Yes, a light breakfast at least 2 hours before. A full stomach presses on the lungs and makes deep breaths harder.

When will I get the results?

The software calculates the values instantly. The doctor usually explains them right after the test.

Can I do it with a cold?

Better to wait 2 to 3 weeks after you recover. If cough and breathlessness have lasted a long time, the doctor may test you anyway.

Who should not have it?

The test is postponed after a recent heart attack, stroke, eye, chest or belly surgery, and with coughing up blood or a collapsed lung. Tell the doctor about these in advance.

Spirometry prices

A basic test costs UAH 895. With a bronchodilator test it is UAH 1,290. The children's exercise test and the exercise challenge have their own items.

Test	Price
Spirometry	UAH 895
With bronchodilator test (Ventolin)	UAH 1,290
With exercise, children	UAH 1,185
Exercise challenge test	UAH 995

Prices are from the clinic price list as of 01.10.2026 and may change. Please check the current price with our contact center before your visit.

Why choose Oberig Clinic

JAEGER spirometer. This computerized German device runs every type of spirometry, including drug and exercise tests.
Experienced doctors. Tests are run by functional diagnostics doctors Nataliia Mizina, PhD, and Oksana Korytska, senior grade, each with over 15 years of experience.
A pulmonologist on site. You can do the test right in the office of pulmonologist Anton Sadomov, PhD, associate professor, and get a treatment plan the same day.
Full lung workup. X-ray, lung CT, bronchoscopy and a day hospital in one clinic.

Address: 3 Zoolohichna St, buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.