Pulmonary function tests

The respiratory function test conducted during a comprehensive medical check-up (ningen dock) aims to detect diseases of the lungs and bronchi at an early stage.

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The respiratory system is a vital organ that takes oxygen—essential for sustaining life—into the body. It can be broadly divided into the "lungs," where oxygen exchange takes place, and the "bronchi," which channel oxygen to the lungs. When abnormalities occur in the lungs or bronchi, making it difficult to properly take in oxygen or efficiently expel carbon dioxide produced within the body, a sensation known as "breathlessness" arises.
 

Respiratory diseases are broadly divided into those that develop acutely and those that progress gradually over a long period. Acute diseases include asthma attacks and pneumonia, for example. A characteristic of these acute conditions is that with proper treatment, the patient can return to a symptom-free state.

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On the other hand, chronic respiratory diseases include conditions that, once advanced, cannot be reversed, forcing individuals to suffer from "breathlessness" for the rest of their lives. Discovering such chronic respiratory diseases early makes it possible—through appropriate treatment and attention to daily lifestyle habits—to return the condition to a nearly normal state, or to stop or slow its progression. The main purpose of performing respiratory function tests before subjective symptoms appear is to detect these diseases early and take appropriate action.

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Diseases that can be detected early through respiratory function tests include "bronchial" conditions such as chronic bronchitis (characterized by a persistent cough and phlegm) and bronchial asthma (where the bronchi spasm and narrow), as well as "lung" conditions such as pulmonary emphysema (where the alveoli, responsible for oxygen exchange, are progressively destroyed, leading to chronic complaints of shortness of breath upon exertion) and interstitial pneumonia (a condition where the lungs gradually stiffen). Additionally, these tests can check for abnormalities in the thoracic cage—the mechanical system for inflating the lungs—and conditions where obesity negatively impacts lung function. Furthermore, a major advantage of respiratory function tests is their ability to detect the negative impacts of smoking on the respiratory system early, making them particularly recommended for smokers.

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The director of our center is a certified specialist of the Japanese Respiratory Society. By combining the results of respiratory function tests with chest X-ray findings, we are able to diagnose a wide range of respiratory diseases.