 [ Symptoms ] can spirometers improve lung function [ Disease ] well yes and no incentive spirometers generally are used by patients after surgery or by people who suffer from an injury such a fractured rib that causes them not to breathe well or deeply as you slowly breathe in through the spirometer it causes inflation of the small sacs in the lungs called alveoli inflating the alveoli helps keep them free of fluid build up fluid build up in the alveoli can lead to pneumonia in a healthy individual using an incentive spirometer could theoretically increase air flow which would aid in lung function studies have not shown that using an incentive spirometer increases or improves lung function in individuals with chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder copd or other chronic lung problems i hope this is helpful