Emphysema

Getting Tested
Everyone at risk for COPD who has cough, sputum production, or shortness of breath, should be tested for the disease. The test for COPD is called spirometry.

Spirometry can detect COPD before symptoms become severe. It is a simple, non-invasive breathing test that measures the amount of air a person can blow out of the lungs (volume) and how fast he or she can blow it out (flow). Based on this test, your doctor can tell if you have COPD, and if so, how severe it is. The spirometry reading can help your doctor determine the best course of treatment.

Diagosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema) is fairly easy, because the symptoms are so obvious: shortness of breath, cough, sputum (phlegm, mucus). To complete the diagnosis, spirometry testing, an ex-ray of your chest to look at any lung damage, and a blood test to measure the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood will be done.