Diagnosing COPD

How your doctor diagnoses COPD

Facts you should know

People with COPD have certain signs and symptoms. But these signs and symptoms vary. Not everyone with COPD will have all the symptoms. For instance, in some people COPD begins long before a persistent cough develops. In others, coughing may begin very early on.5,6

The signs and symptoms include 3,6,7 :

  • A persistent cough that won't go away. If the cough lasts for several weeks and you do not have an infection, you may have COPD
  • Mucus production. Coughing brings up thick mucus
  • Shortness of breath. Patients with COPD may feel out of breath after exertion
  • Wheezing during breathing
  • A feeling of tightness in the chest
  • Loss of appetite and nutritional abnormalities are often a problem in COPD
  • Confusion and loss of mental sharpness
  • Lack of energy and feeling ill
  • Reduced sexual drive

Your lung function is measured by a pulmonary function test (PFT) called spirometry.8 In this simple test, you breathe into a device called a spirometer, like the one pictured here.

spirometer

When you breathe into the spirometer, it tells the doctor the amount of air you
can move in and out of your lungs .8

The 2 most important measurements with the spirometer are7, 8:

 

Does a chest x-ray diagnose COPD?

No. Doctors may order chest x-rays to look for abnormalities or other problems. However, COPD is not generally diagnosed from an x-ray.9