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What Should I Look For?
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Emphysema can seriously damage both your lungs and your heart. Any symptoms having to do with those vital organs should be checked out immediately. Emphysema takes a long time to develop in a person. Most cases of the disease strike men older than 45 who have a history of smoking, but it’s possible to develop no matter who you are. Early detection in the case of COPD is vital. The longer the diseases are left unchecked, the more damage will be done.
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These are the main symptoms to be on the watch for:
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic cough
- Persistent “productive cough” (one which bring up mucus from the lungs)
- Impaired lung function (noticeable in standard lung tests)
- Wheezing
- Fatigue with exercise
- Difficulty sleeping (waking in the night feeling short of breath)
Diagnosing:
To diagnose COPD, your doctor will probably…
- Ask for a medical history. Your chances of developing a disease such as emphysema are increased if there is a genetic tendency towards it (if other people in your family have had it) in your history.
- Perform a physical exam, which will help him or her detect any other possible causes as well as get a general idea of the health and condition your body is in.
- Take a chest X-ray in order to more fully observe what your body is looking like.
- Perform lung function tests in order to gauge your lung capacity and strength.
- Further tests to rule out other factors that might make COPD more difficult to treat.
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