A spirometer is a medical device that measures how much air your lungs can inhale and exhale — how fast and how much air moves. This helps assess lung function.
• Typical values measured include:
• FEV1 — forced expiratory volume in one second (how much air you can forcefully exhale in first second).
• FVC (forced vital capacity) — total volume of air you can exhale forcefully after a full inhalation.
• Other flow and volume parameters (e.g. mid-expiratory flow, peak expiratory flow, FEV6, etc.) depending on the spirometer.
• Doctors use spirometry to diagnose and monitor lung/airway diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other conditions that affect breathing.