Spirometry is a type of pulmonary function test, or a lung function test, that measures the flow of air through your lungs. It also estimates the amount of air in your lungs. The test is performed using a machine called a spirometer. It measures the amount of air you breathe and how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. Spirometry is a safe and commonly ordered test.Spirometry tests determine if lungs are functioning at expected levels. It helps to diagnose lung and airway diseases. For example, the test can detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before symptoms develop. The test can also check for pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lung tissue.
A D-dimer test looks for D-dimer in blood. D-dimer is a protein fragment (small piece) that’s made when a blood clot dissolves in your body.
Blood clotting is an important process that prevents you from losing too much blood when you are injured. Normally, your body will dissolve the clot once your injury has healed. With a blood clotting disorder, clots can form when you don’t have an obvious injury or don’t dissolve when they should. These conditions can be very serious and even life-threatening. A D-dimer test can show if you have one of these conditions.
This test measures the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the blood. ACTH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain. ACTH controls the production of another hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands, two small glands located above the kidneys. Cortisol plays an important role in helping you to:
Respond to stress
Fight infection
Regulate blood sugar
Maintain blood pressure
Regulate metabolism, the process of how your body uses food and energy
Too much or too little cortisol can cause serious health problems.