Experience at Dr.'s Office

[Travis McHugh]

I went to the doctor today to get checked out for a respiratory illness I've been fighting for about a week. When I get to the back, the nurses run their normal routine, temperature, blood pressure, etc. Then the one nurse gives me a cardboard tube with a gauge on it and tells me to blow into it. I wound up doing it three times. I figured that it was a check on lung capacity and waited for the doctor.

The doctor comes in and says, "So, what seems to be the problem?". I tell him I think I am coming down with some sort respiratory infection and how I have tightness around my lungs. He kind of looks at me odd and says, "Well, your breath test was better than normal..."

I then had to explain a little about the breathing exercises I do and how I felt I was at about half to 3/4 breathing capacity. He thanked me for the explanation and then listened to my lungs. I guess he didn't believe I was ill from looking at the test results. I then got my expectorant and antibiotics.

I suppose being breathed has strengthened my lungs quite a bit! I am now wondering how the results of the test would look if I were at full lung capacity. :lol:

[Scott Sonnon]

Travis,

Congrats on surprising your doc. :wink:

We each have four quantities of air: Residual: what exists in your lungs and cannot be exhaled.
Supplementary: what can be exhaled with effort.
Breath: typical exhalation/inhalation volume.
Complementary: the volume over the typical exhalation/inhalation.
If you're feeling as if you're in lacking volume, you can do a repressurization check, by forced exhalation. This should expel three of the four quantities of air in your lungs (all but the Residual.) When you can no longer exhale, hold until uncomfortable, but not painful. Snap your lips tightly shut, and relax the muscles around your lungs to PASSIVELY "suck" air through your nose. ACTIVELY extend your abdominal wall with the passive inhalation. After 10 forceful exhales, test your inhalatory capacity again and see if you feel the same restriction.[/url][/list]