Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) : Symptoms and Diagnosis

by National Institute on Aging

(Page 2 of 3)

The symptoms of COPD include: cough; sputum (mucus) production; shortness of breath, especially with exercise; wheezing, or whistling sound when you breathe; and tightness in the chest.

The most common symptoms of COPD are a cough that does not go away and coughing up lots of sputum. These symptoms often start years before the flow of air in and out of the lungs is reduced. Not everyone who has a cough and sputum goes on to develop COPD.

If your doctor thinks you may have COPD, he or she will examine you, listen to your lungs, and ask you questions about your medical history, and what lung irritants you may have been around for long periods of time.

Spirometry test.To confirm a diagnosis of COPD, your doctor will use a breathing test called spirometry. The test is easy and painless and shows how well your lungs work. You breathe hard into a large hose connected to a machine called a spirometer. When you breathe out, the spirometer measures how much air your lungs can hold and how fast you can blow air out of your lungs.

Based on this test, your doctor can determine if you have COPD and how severe it is. There are four levels of severity for COPD:

• people at risk for COPD
• people with mild COPD
• people with moderate COPD
• people with severe COPD

Those at risk for developing COPD have a normal breathing test and mild symptoms such as chronic cough and sputum production.

Those with mild COPD have mild breathing limitation. Symptoms may include a chronic cough and sputum production. At this stage, you may not be aware that airflow in your lungs is reduced.

With moderate COPD, your breathing test shows worsening airflow blockages. Symptoms may be worse than with mild COPD and you may experience shortness of breath while working hard, walking fast, or doing brisk activity. At this stage, you would seek medical attention.

With severe COPD, the breathing test shows severe limitation of the airflow. People with severe COPD will be short of breath after just a little activity. In very severe COPD, complications like respiratory failure or signs of heart failure may develop. At this stage, quality of life is impaired and worsening symptoms may be life-threatening.

Other tests are used to rule out other causes of the symptoms.

Bronchodilator reversibility testing uses the spirometer and medications called bronchodilators to assess whether breathing problems may be caused by asthma.

Your doctor may also order a chest X-ray and an arterial blood gas test. The blood test shows the oxygen level in the blood to see if oxygen treatment is needed.

Quiz

1. What are the two most common symptoms of COPD?

A. a persistent cough and coughing up mucus B. shortness of breath and tightness in the chest C. wheezing and whistling when you breathe

A is the correct answer. The most common symptoms of COPD are a cough that does not go away and coughing up lots of mucus. Other symptoms of COPD include: shortness of breath, especially with exercise; wheezing, or whistling sound when you breathe; and tightness in the chest. The symptoms often start years before the flow of air in and out of the lungs is reduced.

2. To confirm a diagnosis of COPD, a doctor will perform a test called

A. spirometry
B. magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI
C. electroencephalogram, or EEG

A is the correct answer. To confirm a diagnosis of COPD, a doctor will perform a test called spirometry. Spirometry shows how well your lungs work.

3. People with mild COPD

A. will always be short of breath after just a little activity
B. may have a chronic cough
C. will need to use a respirator to help them breathe

B is the correct answer. Those with mild COPD have mild breathing limitation. Symptoms may include a chronic cough and sputumproduction. At this stage, you may not be aware that airflow in your lungs is reduced.

4. Tests to diagnose COPD are

A. chest X-rays
B. arterial blood gas tests
C. spirometry
D. all of the above

D is the correct answer. A chest X-ray checks for blockages and the blood test shows the level of oxygen in the blood to determine if additional oxygen is needed. Spirometry is a breathing test that shows how well your lungs are working.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.