Pulmonary and Asthma Screenings

Your lungs play a vital role in keeping your body healthy. When breathing becomes difficult or you experience symptoms such as wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath, pulmonary and asthma screenings can help identify the cause and guide the right treatment. 

At Banner Health, our pulmonary specialists use advanced testing to measure how well your lungs are working and to detect or monitor conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other breathing disorders. 

How lung screenings can help 

Your doctor may recommend pulmonary testing to: 

• Assess breathing symptoms, such as shortness of breath or wheezing 
• Confirm or rule out a lung-related diagnosis 
• Evaluate the severity of an existing lung condition 
• Determine surgical or anesthetic risk before a procedure 
• Monitor how well treatment is working 
• Evaluate lung function after an illness or injury 

Our goal is not only to understand how your lungs perform but also to look at other factors that may affect your breathing, including allergies, gastrointestinal reflux or sinus conditions. Breathing problems can also impact your sleep quality, energy and daily activity, which is why your provider may recommend a sleep study if nighttime breathing issues are suspected. 

Common pulmonary and asthma diagnostic tests 

Banner Health offers a full range of noninvasive and minimally invasive tests to assess your breathing and lung health. 

Allergy testing 

Allergies often contribute to asthma flare-ups and chronic respiratory problems. We offer: 

• Skin testing: Small amounts of diluted allergens are applied to the skin to identify triggers that cause a reaction. 
• Blood testing: Measures your antibody levels to specific allergens when skin testing is not appropriate. 

Understanding your allergy triggers helps your provider design a treatment plan that reduces inflammation and prevents asthma attacks. 

Learn more about allergy testing. 

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) 

Pulmonary function tests evaluate how much air you can inhale and exhale and how efficiently your lungs move oxygen into your blood. 

Common PFTs include: 

• Spirometry: Measures airflow and total lung capacity. 
• Plethysmography: Determines total lung volume using pressure changes inside an enclosed booth. 
• Diffusing capacity test: Evaluates how well gases move from your lungs into your bloodstream. 

Additional specialized testing may measure airway resistance or respiratory muscle strength, helping your doctor identify specific types of lung dysfunction. 

Exercise testing 

Exercise testing evaluates how your heart, lungs and muscles work together during physical activity. It helps your care team understand your fitness level and how your body responds to stress. 

Types of exercise testing include: 

• 6-minute walk test: Measures heart rate, oxygen levels and symptoms as you walk at your own pace for six minutes. 
• Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET): Uses a stationary bike or treadmill to measure oxygen use, breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure under controlled conditions. 

These tests can help guide pulmonary rehabilitation and determine your safe level of activity. 

Bronchial challenge testing 

Also known as airway reactivity testing, this test evaluates how sensitive your airways are to specific triggers. It can help confirm or rule out asthma and exercise-induced bronchospasm. 

Types include: 

• Methacholine challenge test 
• Post-exercise spirometry 

Oxygen titration 

Oxygen titration measures how much oxygen your body needs at rest and during activity. Using a pulse oximeter or exercise-based test, we can determine: 

• Whether you require supplemental oxygen 
• How much oxygen is appropriate for your condition 
• How oxygen therapy affects your activity and sleep 

Arterial blood gas analysis 

This test measures the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide and acid (pH) in your blood to determine how effectively your lungs exchange gases. A small sample is taken from an artery in your wrist. This test provides valuable insight into your respiratory and metabolic function. 

Bronchoscopy 

Bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows your doctor to look inside your airways and collect small samples of tissue or fluid for testing. It can help diagnose infection, inflammation or lung disease. Most bronchoscopies are outpatient procedures with a short recovery time. 

Comprehensive lung care at Banner Health 

Your lungs are unique - and so is your care. At Banner Health, we combine advanced diagnostic technology with a multidisciplinary team approach to ensure every patient receives accurate testing and a treatment plan that fits their lifestyle. 

Whether you’re experiencing new symptoms or managing a chronic lung condition, we’re here to help you breathe easier. 

Find a Banner Health pulmonary specialist.