Reversible test

[tiger1000]

Can anyone tell me what is a Reversible test as I have to have one soon thanks psul

[Hidden]

Hi tiger1000

It’s one of the most common tests people with asthma, or people who are being tested for asthma, are given. Your GP or asthma nurse will ask you to take a deep breath and then breathe out as fast as you can and for as long as you can through a mouthpiece linked to a ‘spirometer’. You will have to blow a few times so your GP or asthma nurse can get an accurate result.

Once they have an accurate result, you may then be given a bronchodilator (reliever) medicine to open up your airways and asked to wait 15-20 minutes. You will then need to blow into the machine a few times again. This is to see whether there’s a big change in your airways after taking the medicine.

By comparing your results to measurements that are considered ‘normal’, your GP or asthma nurse can work out if the amount of air you’re able to breathe out is less than the expected range for your age, height and ethnicity because of inflamed or narrowed airways.

Hope that helps,

Dita

[Kashwi1 in reply to Hidden]

I had a reversibility test on Tuesday. Don't worry they are not that bad or scary. Mine showed that I had a 62% reversibility even with all the inhalers and meds I am on. Ahh

[Superzob]

Basically it's testing the amount of your breathing problem which due to asthma and which is therefore reversible (ie, will potentially get better with a corticosteroid inhaler - a bit like nasal sprays help with hay fever). Your llungs deteriorate gradually over time, so there will inevitably be some lack of function due to aging which cannot be reversed in this way, but I suspect that is perfectly normal.

[Matman]

Aims to determine how much improvement to your breathing can be expected / anticipated following the provision of treatment.

It might, for example, indicated to the person conducting the test that - at the time the test is conducted - the patient and doctor may reasonably anticipate (say) a 20% improvement, 40% improvement (or whatever) after the treatment regime has been adopted.