Pulmonary Medicine

Pulmonary Stress Test (Six-Minute Walk Test)

The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT)—also called a Pulmonary Stress Test—is a simple, standardized way to measure how your lungs, heart, and muscles perform during light exercise. By monitoring walking distance, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and symptoms over six minutes, we gain vital information about functional status and the need for therapies such as oxygen.

At TriCity Lung & Sleep, we perform 6MWTs in our Bay City office with quick scheduling and efficient turnaround of results for patients and referring providers. Testing is conducted under physician supervision and aligned with guidance from the American Thoracic Society (ATS). This evaluation is especially useful for conditions such as COPD, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, and for assessing post-COVID recovery.

What the Test Shows

The 6MWT reflects real-world exercise capacity. Results help your clinician determine baseline function, track response to treatment, and decide whether additional support—like ambulatory oxygen or pulmonary rehabilitation—may be appropriate. Serial tests over time can document improvement or progression of disease.

What to Expect

You’ll walk back and forth along a marked, level hallway for six minutes at your usual pace. A technologist monitors your oxygen level, heart rate, and symptoms before, during, and after the walk. If your oxygen drops below a safe threshold, we may repeat portions of the test while you use supplemental oxygen to determine appropriate flow rates for activity.

Why Choose TriCity Lung & Sleep

Fast scheduling and efficient reporting to referring providers
Testing aligned with ATS standards and physician oversight
Clear guidance on activity tolerance and oxygen needs
Ability to coordinate additional diagnostics (e.g., PFTs) when indicated

After the test, results are reviewed promptly and shared with you and your referring clinician. If additional evaluation or therapy is recommended, our team will help coordinate those next steps.

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patient walking during pulmonary stress test with oxygen monitoring

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