Kristy84slp
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Is there a way to measure forced vital capacity at home with a regular spirometer? Thanks for any input!
FVC question
- Thread starter Kristy84slp
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Yes, there is but the accuracy will depend on how much you want to pay. I bought a very cheap one on Amazon last year. I don't believe it is accurate but I believe it has relative accuracy. I've had other people test it and they all blow normal, while mine is more in line with what my PFT shows (plus or minus 10%). There are more sophisticated ones for about $700 that professionals use in the field and you can buy them and medical equipment suppliers.
There is also a lung capacity trainer that will do a rough estimate of your TLC on Amazon. The two things I bought were less than $20 each. There was a study done that showed promise in inspiratory muscle training (which you can actually do in many ways) but I bought the exact tool they used in the training and it cost $65. If you go to ALSTDI you will see our discussion on this with links.
There is also a lung capacity trainer that will do a rough estimate of your TLC on Amazon. The two things I bought were less than $20 each. There was a study done that showed promise in inspiratory muscle training (which you can actually do in many ways) but I bought the exact tool they used in the training and it cost $65. If you go to ALSTDI you will see our discussion on this with links.
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As we say, don't treat numbers, treat people. There are a number of ways to know how things are trending directionally, like asking someone to take a deep breath and blow it out as quickly as possible against your hand. But FVC is not the only number that matters because it only applies to certain muscles, which some people can compensate for more easily than others. How someone feels, coughs and breathes, esp. when asleep (at first), is more telling.
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