What Is Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV)?

Pulmonary Specialists at Washington Township Medical Foundation

Our pulmonary experts at Washington Township Medical Foundation utilize a variety of pulmonary tests to find diagnoses for our patients as well as to gather important information about lung function for other purposes, such as to determine the efficacy of a chosen medication. Forced expiratory volume (FEV) is a measurement that tells a doctor how much air a patient is able to exhale while taking a forced breath.

Your doctor may measure the amount of air during the following seconds of your forced breath:

• First (FEV1)
• Second (FEV2)
• Third (FEV3)

Forced vital capacity (FVC) is another measurement that details the total amount of air that an individual is able to exhale in the FEV test. However, forced expiratory volume is the most important lung function measurement. Both forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity are lung function tests that are measured during spirometry testing.

FEV may be used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Diagnosing obstructive lung diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma
• Determining whether or not a pulmonary condition / disease is improving or worsening
• Determining whether or not a medication being used to improve breathing is effective