A spirometer is a device commonly used to measure lung function and diagnose and monitor the severity of lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

A spirometer measures the volume of air you breathe in, as well as the volume you exhale and how fast you exhale it. A spirometer can take many measurements, but this project will use three specific measurements.
 FEV1: Force expiratory volume in 1 second
    • Volume of air expelled in the first second. 
    • Individuals with asthma tend to have a lower FEV1 than individuals without asthma
 
 FVC: Force vital capacity
    • Volume of air expelled during the duration of the test (6 seconds).
    • Individuals with asthma tend to have a low ratio of FEV/FVC relative to individuals without asthma
 
 PEF: Peak expiratory flow
    • How fast the exhaled air flows through the spirometer.
    • Individuals with asthma tend to have a lower PEF

 How to use a spirometer

1. Place your mouth firmly around the mouthpiece and inhale deeply

2. Forcefully blow out all the air in your lungs 

3. Continue pushing the air out of your lungs for the duration of the test

Resources

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