An incentive spirometer is a handheld breathing device that trains you to take slow, deep breaths to keep your lungs fully expanded. It’s most commonly handed to patients after surgery, but it’s also used during lung illnesses, prolonged bed rest, and chronic respiratory conditions. The device gives you real-time visual feedback as you inhale, turning an otherwise invisible exercise into something you can see and measure.
How It Works Inside Your Lungs
When you breathe normally, you only use a fraction of your lung capacity. After surgery, illness, or injury, breathing tends to become even shallower because of pain, fatigue, or the lingering effects of anesthesia. Shallow breathing allows small air sacs deep in the lungs to collapse, a condition called atelectasis. Once those air sacs close, mucus can build up and bacteria can settle in, setting the stage for pneumonia.
An incentive spirometer counters this by encouraging slow, sustained inhalation. As you breathe in through the mouthpiece, a piston or ball rises inside a clear chamber, showing you exactly how much air you’re pulling into your lungs. The key is breathing in slowly rather than quickly. Slow inhalation stretches and reopens collapsed airways, increases the volume of air reaching deep lung tissue, and helps loosen mucus so you can cough it out. The motion mimics the kind of deep breath your body naturally takes during a yawn or a sigh, but in a controlled, repeatable way.
When You’ll Likely Be Given One
The most common scenario is after surgery, particularly any procedure involving the chest or abdomen. Operations in these areas make it painful to breathe deeply, so patients instinctively take shallow breaths. An incentive spirometer is standard care after open heart surgery, lung surgery, and many abdominal procedures. A meta-analysis of over 10,000 patients found that those who used an incentive spirometer after lung surgery had a 32% lower risk of pulmonary complications and a 17.9% lower rate of postoperative pneumonia compared to patients who didn’t use one. They also left the hospital nearly two days sooner on average.
Beyond surgery, providers prescribe incentive spirometers for a range of conditions:
- Pneumonia, to help reopen affected areas of the lung
- COPD and asthma, as a lung exercise tool
- Rib fractures or chest injuries, where pain limits normal breathing
- Extended bed rest, since lying flat for days weakens respiratory muscles
- Cystic fibrosis, to assist with mucus clearance
- Sickle cell anemia, which can cause lung complications called acute chest syndrome
The device doesn’t directly benefit your heart, but because it’s part of recovery from open heart surgery and other major procedures, people sometimes associate it with cardiac care.
How to Use It Correctly
The technique matters more than most people realize. Sit upright if you can, as lying flat limits how much your lungs can expand. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth and seal your lips tightly around it so no air leaks in from the sides. Then breathe in slowly and steadily through the mouthpiece. You’ll see a piston or ball rise inside the device. Try to raise it as high as you can, but the emphasis should be on a slow, controlled breath rather than a fast, forceful one. Fast inhalation doesn’t expand the lungs as effectively.
Once you’ve inhaled as deeply as possible, hold your breath for a few seconds. This pause is important because it gives the air time to reach and inflate the smallest, deepest air sacs in your lungs. Then exhale normally and rest for a few breaths before repeating. Most patients are asked to do about 10 breaths per session, several times throughout the day, though your provider will set a specific target based on your situation.
If you’ve had surgery on your chest or abdomen, pressing a pillow firmly against the incision site while you inhale can reduce pain and make it easier to take a full breath. This is called splinting, and it lets you breathe deeper without worrying about straining the surgical area.
What the Numbers on the Device Mean
The chamber on an incentive spirometer is marked with volume measurements in milliliters. As you inhale, the piston rises to show how much air you pulled into your lungs in that single breath. Your target volume depends on factors like your height, age, and sex, since lung capacity varies widely between individuals. A provider will typically set a goal marker on the device for you to aim for, and the objective is to gradually work your way up to that target over days or weeks.
Many devices also have a smaller indicator on the side that coaches your breathing speed. If you inhale too fast, the indicator rises above its target zone. If you’re breathing at the right pace, it stays within a marked range. This flow indicator is what helps you maintain the slow, steady inhalation that’s most effective for lung expansion.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent error is breathing in too fast. A quick, sharp inhale might push the piston to a high number, but it doesn’t expand the deep lung tissue the way a slow breath does. Think of it as inflating a balloon slowly and evenly rather than popping air into it.
Another common mistake is not using the device often enough. One session a day won’t do much. Consistent use throughout the day is what prevents lung complications, especially in the first few days after surgery when the risk is highest. It can feel tedious, but the repetition is the point.
Some people feel lightheaded after several deep breaths in a row. This is usually from hyperventilating, or breathing too many deep breaths without enough rest between them. If you feel dizzy, pause and breathe normally for a minute before continuing. Spacing out your breaths within each session prevents this.
How It Compares to Deep Breathing Alone
You might wonder whether you really need the device or could just take deep breaths on your own. Research comparing incentive spirometers to unassisted deep breathing exercises finds that both are effective at reducing pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery. The spirometer’s advantage is practical rather than physiological: the visual feedback keeps you honest. Without it, most people overestimate how deeply they’re breathing, or they forget to do the exercises altogether. The device gives you a measurable goal and a way to track progress, which tends to improve consistency. For patients recovering from surgery, that compliance boost can make a real difference.