Medical Evaluation

Many people ignore the initial symptoms of emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis and seek medical treatment only after the disease interferes with their normal functioning. In order for your physician to make a diagnosis of COPD a series of tests likely will be scheduled. These tests not only assist in making the diagnosis, but also help determine how far the disease has progressed. These tests may include:

Pulmonary Function Testing. Also referred to as PFTs, pulmonary function tests are used to determine several characteristics and capabilities of your lungs. They can be performed in a physician's office or laboratory and will measure the following:

• Total Lung Capacity. This is the amount of air your lungs are capable of holding.
• Forced Expiratory Volume. This test measures the force with which you can blow air out of your lungs.

Pulse Oximetry. This non-invasive test involves placing a lighted clip on your finger, toe or earlobe to indirectly measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.

Arterial Blood Gas. This is a blood test that tells how well your body is getting oxygen and how effectively the lungs can remove carbon dioxide.

Chest X-Ray. Changes in the lungs may not be noticed on X-ray findings in the early stages of emphysema. Over time, as the disease worsens, there are several changes that appear on the chest X-ray.

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