What Do Pulmonologists Look For In A Lung Test?
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At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA, we offer our patients different lung tests to evaluate how well their lungs are working. Based on your initial exam and your symptoms, our board-certified physician in pulmonary medicine, Dr. Avi Ishaaya, may suggest different tests to confirm a lung diagnosis. If it is deemed medically necessary, we may also recommend allergy testing. Our comprehensive radiology suite is located on-site and uses state-of-the-art equipment to provide quick and accurate imaging results. This means you don’t have to wait a long time and can start treatment quickly.
Common lung conditions
Dr. Ishaaya uses lung tests in order to confirm the diagnosis of many different lung conditions, including:
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Asthma: If you have asthma after your lung test, we can help you to manage this condition. We offer medication management for coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and tightening of the chest with different treatment methods.
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Bronchitis: Bronchitis is a common illness involved with the respiratory system. When the lungs are triggered by something you inhaled or exposed to a virus, you can have a bronchial response. When you have bronchitis, you will experience a sore throat, loud barking cough, whistling or noisy breathing, mucus from in the chest, and a congested chest.
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COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be diagnosed with a computed tomography (CT) scan, chest x-ray, arterial blood gas test, or a pulmonary function test. Patients with COPD will experience shortness of breath, labored breathing, chronic cough with mucus, and wheezing.
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Pneumonia: This is caused by a virus, fungi, or bacteria that could lead to hospitalization when left untreated. Lung testing is advisable for those with chills, body aches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, cough with mucus, sore throat, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
Pulmonary function tests
At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA, we use a variety of pulmonary function tests to measure how well the lungs are performing. These tests can give Dr. Ishaaya a baseline medical record for your lung health in which we can compare your results to others to show how well your lungs are working. We also can assess how effective your treatment is over time with subsequent PFTs. We can evaluate your lung volume, any changes in lung function, and what chronic illness has done to your lungs. These noninvasive breathing tests can be done on the same day as your consultation.
Some traditional pulmonary function tests include:
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Exhale nitric oxide test: This test assesses inflammation in your airways and how well treatments and medicine are working for those who have had lung testing before. For those with suspected asthma, a separate test is required.
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Methacholine challenge: The bronchoprovocation test can confirm an asthma diagnosis. We ask the patient to inhale methacholine, which will narrow your airway. Dr. Ishaaya can document your response.
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Lung imaging: Our experienced radiologists can perform x-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds to look for potential lung disease or lung cancer.
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Oxygen six-minute walk study: This study has a patient walking on a flat surface for six minutes. During this session, we will look at your lung function and what conditions you may be at risk of developing or already have.
Get important lung testing to improve your health
At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA, we offer various lung tests that can test your lung function and health. Dr. Avi Ishaaya can use these tests to determine the best course of action to treat and manage your symptoms. To schedule a consultation today to learn more about pulmonary function tests, call our team.