Lung health: How accurate are those viral breath-holding tests?

Are you curious about your lung health? Several videos have been making the rounds on social media, asking people to hold their breath for a certain amount of time to check how healthy their lungs are.

These posts mention that if you can hold your breath for a long time and breathe comfortably afterward, your lungs are most likely in good shape. They also claim that smokers, in particular, struggle with this test compared to non-smokers. However, is this really a reliable way to check your respiratory health?

 

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Dr Shivakumar K, MD and senior consultant respiratory medicine at Birds Clinic, denies holding one’s breath as a reliable indicator of lung health. “This method primarily tests one’s voluntary breath-holding capacity, which involves factors such as mental fortitude and the body’s tolerance to carbon dioxide, rather than directly measuring lung function or health,” he informs.

Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, pulmonologist at Fortis, concurs, “The breath-holding test offers insights into respiratory health by assessing lung function and efficiency. However, its accuracy is limited compared to more comprehensive tests like spirometry. While it can indicate potential issues such as lung capacity and breath-holding ability, it’s not sufficient for diagnosing respiratory conditions alone.”

The ability to hold one’s breath depends on several non-respiratory factors, Dr Shivakumar continues, including psychological preparedness, muscle control, and overall fitness. While a severely diminished lung capacity might reduce breath-holding time, a normal or long breath-holding duration does not guarantee healthy lungs. “This method fails to assess critical aspects of lung function such as lung capacity, airway resistance, and gas exchange efficiency,” he asserts.

Dr Shivakumar K, MD and senior consultant respiratory medicine at Birds Clinic, denies holding one’s breath as a reliable indicator of lung health. (Source: Freepik)

Determining healthy lung function through breath-holding

“There is no scientifically established duration for breath-holding that indicates healthy lung function. The capability to hold one’s breath varies extensively based on individual characteristics,” Dr Shivakumar says.

Age, fitness level, and habitual breath control training (like that seen in swimmers or free divers) can greatly influence one’s ability to hold their breath. Younger, healthier, and more physically trained individuals tend to hold their breath longer, he discloses, but these factors are not directly proportional to lung health.

Does this test help differentiate smokers from non-smokers?

“Breath-holding times do not provide a reliable method for differentiating between smokers and non-smokers regarding lung health. Smoking can lead to various types of lung damage that breath-holding tests are not sensitive enough to detect,”

Dr Shivakumar cautions, “Relying on breath-holding as a diagnostic tool can be misleading. It may overlook underlying lung pathologies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, which might not significantly impact the duration one can hold their breath until the disease is in an advanced stage.”

What are the limitations and potential risks of using this as a diagnostic measure?

According to Dr Jha, the use of breath holding as a diagnostic parameter for lung function carries several risks:

*Misinterpretation: Depending solely on breath holding may lead to misinterpretation of lung function, as it provides limited information compared to more comprehensive tests like spirometry.

*False reassurance: A seemingly normal breath-holding result may falsely reassure individuals, leading to delayed diagnosis or treatment of underlying respiratory conditions.

*Masking underlying issues: Some respiratory conditions may not be accurately reflected through breath holding alone, potentially masking underlying lung abnormalities or diseases.

*Lack of specificity: Breath holding may not distinguish between different respiratory conditions, making it challenging to pinpoint the specific cause of symptoms.

Standardised tests for lung health assessment

Dr Shivakumar advises taking a spirometry test as it is the most recommended and reliable test for assessing lung health. “It measures how much air a person can exhale in one forced breath and how quickly they can do it, providing detailed insights into lung capacity and airway resistance,” he elucidates.

Spirometry offers quantitative data that can help diagnose obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. It is a critical tool for detecting conditions such as asthma, COPD, and other pulmonary issues. Unlike breath-holding, spirometry provides measurable, accurate assessments that can guide medical interventions and monitoring.

“A simple and non-invasive test that can be used in public settings to assess respiratory health is the ‘finger-clip’ or pulse oximetry test,” says Dr Jha. This test measures the oxygen saturation level in the blood by clipping a small device onto the fingertip. It’s quick, painless, and provides valuable information about oxygen delivery to the body. While it doesn’t replace comprehensive lung function tests such as spirometry, he agrees that it offers a good indication of respiratory health and can be easily performed in various settings, including public health screenings or wellness events.

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