Spirometry (lung function testing) in Durban North

Dr Derran M Govender does spirometry at his practice in Durban North. Spirometry is a simple breathing test that measures how well your lungs work. It’s used to diagnose and monitor asthma, COPD and other lung conditions.

What spirometry checks

Spirometry measures how much air you can breathe out and how fast you can breathe it out. This shows whether your airways are narrowed, as in asthma and COPD, or whether your lungs can’t expand fully, as in some other lung conditions. The test is often repeated after an inhaler to see whether your breathing improves.

When you might need spirometry

• a cough that won’t go away
• shortness of breath or wheezing
• to diagnose asthma or COPD
• to check how well your asthma or COPD treatment is working
• if you smoke or used to smoke
• for some work or insurance medicals

What happens during the test

You take a deep breath in and then blow out as hard and fast as you can into a mouthpiece connected to the machine. This is repeated a few times to get an accurate reading. The test takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

What to bring

Please bring:

• your ID
• your medical aid card, if applicable
• a list of your current medicines
• any previous test results

Fees and medical aid

The practice accepts all major medical aids. For fees, contact the practice.

Appointments

The practice is open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00, and walk-ins are welcome. Book an online or in-person appointment.

Frequently asked questions

What do spirometry results mean?

The two main results are:

• FVC: the total amount of air you can breathe out
• FEV1: how much of that air you breathe out in the first second

Your results are compared with what’s expected for your age, height and sex. Dr Govender goes through your results with you and explains what they mean for your treatment.