We use different advanced tests to help us try and identify the cause of your problems.

Lung function tests

Lung function tests involve you blowing in and out of a mouthpiece. We are then able to look at what happens to the volume of your lungs and the way in which your lungs take up oxygen.

Read more about our lung function tests. 

Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET)

A CPET is the best test available for finding out what is causing your unexplained breathlessness. The test gives us information about how your heart and lungs respond to physical activity.

During the test, we will ask you to exercise, to the best of your ability, on a treadmill or exercise bike. You will be wearing a special face mask or mouthpiece so we can measure your oxygen levels and production of waste gases.

A physician and physiotherapist will look at your breathing during the test so we immediately have the information we need.

Some medical conditions mean it may be unsafe for you to perform a CPET test. These include conditions such as a recent heart attack or blood clot. Before you start the test, we will check your medical history with you.

Read more about our CPET test.

Other specialist tests

Depending on the information we receive from your referring doctor and our discussions with you before you come in, we may use other tests to look at your breathing:

• Continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE) is used to look at how your voice box works during exercise
• Eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH), is used to check for exercise-induced asthma
• Echocardiography
• Physiotherapist breathing control assessment 

All exercise tests are supervised by an experienced respiratory physician and two senior physiologists, who will closely monitor your heart rate and breathing during the test.