COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The indications of it are that it is very hard for you to breathe because of multiple breathing disorders.
Your doctor will perform what is known commonly as PFT. PFT stands for Pulmonary Functions Test. You breath into a tube long and hard as you can.
You will be given some medicine and then you try testing again to see what improvement if any was on the previous readings. The PFT will print out a pattern of your breathing so the doctor can possibly diagnose the exact nature of your problem. He will also do a simple test called oxymetry. Oxymetry is very painless and takes seconds to complete. The doctor will place a thing that looks like a high tech clothes pin on one of your fingers, in seconds it will show what percentage of air you are receiving compared to what you should have used.
To have COPD you must be diagnosed with at least two respiratory disorders.
If you’ve been told you have both asthma and bronchitis, most likely you have it.
Other combinations of respiratory distress can cause COPD as well.
If you get diagnosed with it, your doctor will most likely give you pills and/or an inhaler to control it. In severe cases a nebulizer may also be prescribed. These items are the best treatments for COPD.
If you think you may have COPD, call your doctor right away. The sooner you’re treated, the better you’ll feel.
