Spirometry, Asthma, Copd, Emphysema
Spirometry
Spirometry is a test used to diagnose and monitor lung conditions including: patients breathe into a small device called a spirometer. A spirometer measures how well air moves in and out of your lungs during forced breathing. You can have the test here in Bandon.


Asthma
Ireland has one of the highest rates of asthma prevalence in the world. It is the most common chronic disease affecting children, and the most common chronic respiratory disease in adults.
It may affect a person all their lives, but it can be managed so effectively that a person has a high quality of life and health. Asthma in Ireland is characterised by high disease prevalence, sub-optimal control in the majority of patients, low uptake of objective lung function tests for diagnosis and management and infrequent use of asthma management plans.
To manage our asthma patients here at Brooklane Clinic;
- We help identify exposure to risk factors
- We assess, treat and monitor asthma
- We manage asthma exacerbations
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
In 2016 Ireland was noted as having the highest hospitalisation rates per 100,000 head of population in the OECD in relation to COPD. It is estimated that 380,000 people are living with COPD yet only 110,000 are diagnosed.
It is particularly prevalent in the more vulnerable in society. At Brooklane Medical Bandon, we help manage patients who get exacerbations of COPD by;
- diagnosis; COPD is considered in any patient who has dyspnoea, chronic cough or sputum production,and/or a history of exposure to risk factors for the disease.
- carrying out a detailed history, functional assessment and physical examination
- assessing the severity


Emphysema
Emphysema is caused by damage to the air sacs (alveoli) of the lung.
Normally there are more than 300 million air sacs in the lungs. If the walls of the air sacs are damaged they lose their elasticity and trap air.
This causes extra air to remain in the lungs after you breathe out.