Diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Also referred to as “Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease” (COAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of lung disease marked by the permanent constriction of the lungs’ small airways, known as the bronchi. Over time as COPD obstructs more and more bronchi, people with this condition can’t exhale as quickly. This causes them to wheeze, cough and suffer from general breathing problems.

 
Although people can be genetically predisposed to developing COPD, the primary cause of this condition is related to lifestyle habits, namely smoking. Similarly, people can develop COPD if they work around or have had a lot of contact with asbestos, coal dust and some chemical solvents.
 
If left untreated, COPD can have serious, potentially fatal complications that include:
  • chronic bronchitis
  • emphysema
  • lung cancer
  • pneumonia.
Consequently, seeking medical attention as soon as you start noticing that you are experiencing breathing difficulties is important. By diagnosing COPD early, you can take the proper steps toward treating this condition and preventing serious side effects from developing.
 
In this section, we will outline the process of diagnosing COPD. Our articles will discuss the various types of tests doctors perform, as well as the long-term prognosis for this lung condition.

COPD Diagnosis

When making a COPD diagnosis, doctors first start by asking patients about their personal and family medical history. Doctors will want to specifically know whether or not you or any of your immediate family members have suffered from any serious lung conditions. Similarly, doctors will ask you if you smoke or work around chemicals and/or asbestos on a regular basis.
 
In the next step of the diagnostic process, doctors will perform a series of tests to see whether or not your lungs are obstructed. Unfortunately, no single test can absolutely identify the presence or absence of COPD. As a result, doctors tend to perform a couple of different tests that evaluate your lung capacity and strength.
 
Some of the possible tests that doctors can use when diagnosing COPD include:
  • chest X-ray

  • CT scan

  • spirometry, a breathing test in which a device called a spirometer measures your lung capacity, as well as your rate of exhalation

  • bronchodilator reversibility testing, which uses medications known as bronchodilators, along with a spirometry, to determine whether or not breathing problems are being caused by asthma, rather than COPD.
After performing any combination of these tests, your doctor will be able to make a proper COPD diagnosis.

COPD Prognosis

Like most other diseases, the prognosis for COPD depends on how early this condition is diagnosed. Because there is no cure for COPD, treatments revolve around addressing the painful symptoms of the condition, changing lifestyle habits that contribute to COPD and working to expand the airways of the lungs. However, the longer COPD persists undiagnosed, the less effective these treatments are.
 
Each year, just over 124,000 people die from COPD complications. This accounts for about 5 percent of all deaths nationwide. Quitting smoking and adopting healthy lifestyle habits are two things COPD patients can do to give themselves the best possible prognosis.
 
Resources
 
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2007). How is COPD Diagnosed? Retrieved August 28, 2007, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/
Copd/Copd_Diagnosis.html.

Wrong Diagnosis (2007). Prognosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Retrieved August 28, 2007, from the Wrong Diagnosis Web site: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/copd/prognosis.htm.