Incentive Spirometer

What Is an Incentive Spirometer?

An incentive spirometer is a simple, plastic medical device that exercises your lungs. Healthcare providers may recommend that you use an incentive spirometer (pronounced “in-SEN-tiv” “spy-ROM-uh-ter”) after an illness, surgery, or injury to your chest or abdomen.

The device is small. It’s about the size of a soda pop bottle. You can hold it in one hand.

An incentive spirometer is like an exercise machine for your lungs. It helps them get stronger after an injury or illness. It can also help maintain lung strength.

What is the purpose?

With regular use, an incentive spirometer helps your lungs expand. This allows you to take deep, full breaths instead of short, shallow breaths.

What is a normal range?

There’s no “normal” or typical incentive spirometer range. The values are different according to your:

• Age
• Height
• Sex

Your healthcare provider will consider these factors when they help you set goals. Reaching your goals is important. It’s a good sign your lungs are improving if your breaths are consistently higher than your goal.

What are the benefits?

An incentive spirometer is like an exercise machine for your lungs. It helps maintain your lung strength. It can also help your lungs get stronger after an injury or illness.

After surgery, an incentive spirometer can:

• Improve lung ventilation: Ventilation is how much air enters your lungs when you breathe in and how much air leaves your lungs when you breathe out.
• Recover from anesthesia quickly: It helps clear anesthesia from your lungs.
• Loosen mucus from your lungs: Deep breaths in (inhalations) help prevent mucus and fluids from building up in your lungs.
• Help prevent lung complications: Slow, deep breaths fully inflate your lungs. This helps clear any fluids that may cause lung conditions, like pneumonia.

What are the different types of incentive spirometers?

There are two types:

• Flow-oriented incentive spirometer (FIS): An FIS makes you work harder to breathe. It provides resistance as you breathe in deeply. It helps increase the muscles in your upper chest.
• Volume-oriented incentive spirometer (VIS): A VIS doesn’t make you work as hard to breathe as an FIS. It helps improve activity and movement in your diaphragm.

Who should use it?

Your healthcare provider may give you an incentive spirometer in the following situations:

• Rib fracture: Your ribs may be sore to the touch. It may also hurt to breathe or cough. Everyday activities like walking, running or going upstairs may be uncomfortable or painful. Using an incentive spirometer helps ensure you’re breathing deeply to keep your lungs open. It also helps prevent complications from shallow breathing.
• Bed rest: Your provider may recommend bed rest after surgery or an injury. You rest in bed or on a comfortable couch at home. You’ll limit your movements and activities. An incentive spirometer will help you continue to exercise and expand your lungs while your movement is limited.
• Asthma: This causes inflammation in your airways. Your airways tighten and produce mucus. You may use an incentive spirometer as a breathing exercise to help improve symptoms.
• Pneumonia: This causes air sacs in your lungs to fill with mucus and other fluids. An incentive spirometer helps to fully expand your lungs to prevent fluid or mucus from entering your air sacs. A forced cough after a breath may help loosen mucus and fluids.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): This is a group of diseases that causes permanent lung damage. You can’t reverse COPD lung damage. But an incentive spirometer helps track how well your lungs are functioning during or after hospitalization for COPD.
• Cystic fibrosis: This causes mucus to build up in your organs, including your lungs. Using an incentive spirometer for deep breathing may help to get air behind blockages. A forced cough may also help clear mucus from your lungs.
• Sickle cell anemia: This can cause your cells to clump together and clog blood vessels in your lungs. An incentive spirometer can prevent complications associated with acute chest syndrome in people with sickle cell anemia.
• Atelectasis: This prevents your lungs from properly inflating. Using an incentive spirometer can help prevent atelectasis, especially after surgery.

How do I use it?

To properly use an incentive spirometer, you should:

1. Set the yellow indicator on the side to the goal number your medical provider gives you. This will help you know how deeply to breathe.
2. Sit on the edge of your bed, if possible. If you can’t, sit up as far as you can in bed.
3. Hold the incentive spirometer in an upright position.
4. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth and tightly seal your lips around it. You may place clips on your nose to force you to breathe through your mouth.
5. Breathe in as slowly and deeply as possible. You’ll notice a yellow piston rising toward the top of the column. The yellow piston should reach the blue outlined area.
6. Hold your breath for as long as possible, or at least five seconds. Breathe out slowly and allow the piston to fall to the bottom of the column.
7. Rest for a few seconds. Then, repeat steps 2 through 6 at least 10 times every hour you’re awake.

• Use the indicator as a goal to work toward during each slow, deep breath.
• After each set of 10 deep breaths, cough deeply to clear your lungs. If you have a cut (incision) from surgery, firmly press a pillow or rolled-up towel against it when coughing. This helps provide support.
• Once you can get out of bed safely, take frequent short walks and practice coughing. You can usually stop using the incentive spirometer once you walk around, unless your provider instructs otherwise.

If you feel dizzy or lightheaded at any point while using an incentive spirometer, immediately stop using it. Call your provider right away.

How often should I use it?

When you’re awake, you should use your incentive spirometer at least 10 times every hour.

Are there any risks?

Yes, there are some risks.

If you don’t properly clean and disinfect your incentive spirometer, it’s possible for you to spread bacteria. Clean your device’s tubing, breathing valve and mouthpiece before someone else uses it.

Using an incentive spirometer also requires you to breathe out deeply. This may spread airborne microbes like influenza and COVID-19. It’s a good idea to avoid using your device around other people, especially if you’re not feeling well.

If you have cystic fibrosis, you’re also at a greater risk of upper respiratory tract infections when you use the device.

How do I clean it?

If you have an incentive spirometer that you use at home, it’s a good idea to clean it every day.

Detach the mouthpiece from the base of the device. Clean it with water and antibacterial soap for about 20 seconds. Then, wash the rest of the incentive spirometer with water and soap.

You can also put on protective gloves and soak the separate pieces in a 5% bleach and water solution for about five to 10 minutes. Swish the pieces in the solution periodically to help clean all of the crevices. Thoroughly rinse the pieces in clean running water.

Make sure the device is dry before you use it again.