First time here, first question. I have had a history of uncontrolled GERD,deployments to Iraq around burn pits, and a former smoker. About 7 years ago, I woke up coughing up blood. Thought it may have had something to do with aspirating stomach acid …

Hi all Its the Dane again, sorry for asking a lot of questions I monitor my oxygen and heart rate at night because i have emphysema andi use cpap. Last night my heart rate was normal , around 60 bpm, but then i saw it was 150 for about 1 sek, and then …

Annie Hall - Diane Keaton… All The President’s Men - Dustin Hoffman & Robert Redfor

can someone help me understand shortness of breath with COPD? I do have anxiety so having a hard time knowing when im "short of breath" or just focused on my breathing

I just wanted to say a big thank you to the Copdfoundation. A lot of very kind and caring people here, I feel very gratefull and lucky. I Denmark we have nothing like this. A big thank you. Thomas

Newly diagnosed with emphysema and asthma as a 67 year-old adult. I had no clue. Stopped smoking 27 years ago. Live in the country with very little air pollution. My FEV1 is under 80%, and my diffusion capacity is under 53%. Doc said I'm in stage 1 …

There's not really any good research there about which to take first. In your case, I might recommend doing the Symbicort first, because that has a bronchodilator in it that kicks in for you in about five minutes. That might open up your airways a bit …

Hi everyone, Right now I'm shivering in a hospital gown as I recover from an angiogram. I have moderate emphysema spiced often with quite severe, but intermittent chest pain. Typically this pain occurs when I'm under external stress (e.g. making a …

Hello everybody...new here with a few questions. About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 1 or mild COPD. During that time I managed my symptoms with Symbicort and a Salbutamol rescue inhaler. For about the last 6 months my symptoms have become a lot …

My mom had a saying for every situation. She was a school teacher for many years, so you can imagine that she had a lot of situations that needed to be handled every single day. One of her sayings was this little gem, “It is easier to act your way into a …

One day last week, Kristen Willard and I were talking about the importance of self-care. She brought up a term I had only learned about pretty recently – hygge , which is pronounced as hoo-geh. If you aren’t familiar with the term, hygge comes from …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to obtain patient perspectives on the impact of sarcopenia on daily life and patient views on treatments for the condition. Your comments will help the FDA create a report called “Voice of the …

Hi, my mom has severe COPD and is the process of being evaluated for the Zephyr valve. I am looking for reviews from people who also have severe COPD on oxygen 24/7 that have had the procedure done at least a month or two ago as they say the results take …

This is some recent info I found about better masks. I'm back using a mask in public indoor spaces for the winter. I had covid in November, then flu in December. This brand is highly rated, I've seen it in articles including the NY Times Wirecutter. They …

Zepher Valve surgery

When you are first talking to your clinician about the possibility of having COPD, they may order various tests to figure out what is going on. Let’s cover the basics of COPD diagnostic tests. The main diagnostic test for COPD is called spirometry. In a …

I recently took my first PFT test and I was not at all prepared for how uncomfortable it would be. Thats my fault for not researching more, but this is all still new to me. On the first exhalation, I forced out all of the air as quickly as possible, but …

High resolution CT shows emphysema along with a previous nodule that has significantly grown. I am scheduled for a PFT followed by pulmonologist visit right after. WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU WISH YOU HAD ASKED EARLY ON IN YOUR DIAGNOSIS? Thanks for your input!

It is common to have a variety of tests when you have been diagnosed with bronchiectasis. Health care providers want to see how much of your lungs are affected by the condition and how well your lungs function. To learn these things, you may be asked to …

Medical tests are very important for people with health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But sometimes, we get nervous about these tests because we aren’t sure what to expect. Let’s talk about some of the most common tests …

Thanks for the update. I don't know a great deal about this- below is a link to the Up to Date chapter on this. It sounds like there are multiple different reasons for this with prognosis related to the exact reasons. https://www.dropbox …

Take an "exercise snack", advises in the Washington Post. These 2-minute exercise bursts may be better than your regular workout Exercise ‘snacks’ don’t require a gym membership, special shoes or other equipment, and the time commitment is minimal. …

I have multiple sclerosis and have been on same medicine for 10 years. I was diagnosed with severe copd I stopped smoking that day I was told 4 years ago. I Repeated ct scan other day severe changes and not for the good. Anyone please help I am only 50! …

I just had flu that quickly became acute bronchitis. My doctor prescribed Advair after 2 weeks. It worked quickly. Within half an hour I coughed up phlegm a couple of times, then that stopped. First night I felt, wow, breathing is so much better, less …

Hello Al.lb, First, I want to say that your mother is extremely fortunate to have a child who cares about her and wants to learn as much as possible how to help her live a better life. I'm not a medical person, just a 76 year old patient who has lived …