Diagnosis
Many times, COPD is not diagnosed until it reaches an advanced stage with obvious symptoms. If you have any symptoms of COPD, contact a doctor immediately. The doctor will conduct a physical examination and ask you about your symptoms and possible risk factors such as smoking and workplace exposure. The doctor will conduct a physical examination and listen for wheezing sounds with a stethoscope. The doctor may recommend the following tests to diagnose COPD:
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Pulmonary Function Test/Spirometry
In this procedure, the patient blows air into a machine, which measures how much air the lungs can hold and how fast it can be exhaled. This test can diagnose COPD and sometimes detect COPD before symptoms develop.
Chest X-Ray
A chest X-ray uses electromagnetic waves to create pictures of the inside of your body. A chest X-Ray alone can't diagnose COPD, but it can show signs of COPD and help the doctor confirm the diagnosis.
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Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
For a CT scan, the patient lies flat on a table while a machine rotates around the body and takes pictures, producing detailed cross-sectional images of the body. A CT scan alone can't diagnose COPD, but it can show signs of COPD and help the doctor confirm the diagnosis.
Arterial Blood Gas Test
An arterial blood gas test measures the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a sample of blood taken from an artery. An arterial blood gas test can show whether there is a normal or depleted level of oxygen in the blood, and can show how severe COPD is. This test measures how well oxygen can be moved to blood and how well carbon dioxide can be removed.
