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Print: How can I find out if I have COPD?
Talk to your doctor if you experience any symptoms of COPD. Your doctor will ask you if you smoke or if you have been exposed to excessive amounts of dust, fumes, smoke, gases, vapors or mists over a long period of time.
Your doctor might give you a pulmonary function test. This is a special test to see how well your lungs are working. In this test, you take deep breaths and then blow into a machine. The machine measures how deeply you can breathe and how fast you can move air in and out of your lungs. You might also have a chest X-ray. The X-ray can show signs of COPD. Your doctor may also suggest a blood test or a special test that analyzes your mucus.
Next: Treatment
Source
COPD: Management of Acute Exacerbations and Chronic Stable Disease by MH Hunter, MD; DE King, MD (American Family Physician August 15, 2001, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010815/603.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 07/10
Created: 08/01
