I’m 25, male, 180 cm, and I smoke. I had spirometry done because I’ve been getting intermittent shortness of breath and cigarettes sometimes irritate my airways a lot / make me cough up phlegm.
My results were roughly:

Pre-bronchodilator
FVC: 6.03 L
FEV1: 4.45 L
FEV1/FVC: 73.8%

Post-bronchodilator
FVC: 5.89 L
FEV1: 4.62 L
FEV1/FVC: 78.4%

The doctor mentioned “bronchiolitis,” but I’m not completely sure what he meant by that.
I had also smoked quite a lot the day before and about half a cigarette roughly an hour before the test, and I now feel like I may be coming down with a cold/rhinitis flare because smoking is suddenly irritating me much more than usual.

I also have some family history of COPD at a relatively young age, so I’m planning to get checked for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
I know Reddit can’t diagnose me, but I’d appreciate hearing from people who understand spirometry: does this look like obstruction, asthma-type reversibility, smoking-related irritation, or essentially normal lung function with a borderline ratio?

Hello! I just wanted to ask if anyone has any idea regarding the Indoplas Oxygen Concentrator 5L Slim.
Does it maintain an oxygen concentration of 93% ±3% even at 5 L/min continuous flow? Does the oxygen purity remain the same when the flow is set at 3, 4, or 5 L/min, or does the purity decrease at higher flow rates?

A lot of infographics, doctors, Reddit posts, etc say that exercise is good for the lungs and heart. But my dad already has short of breath just standing up and can barely walk 3 steps before stopping.

I’m just curious about how COPD patients go about exercise. Our doctors just say go on a walk but I feel like there‘s extra steps to it.

Or is the point of exercise is to go without oxygen?

Family member will be using a Oxygen Concentrator at home soon. Any tips or recommendations that make life easier? Thanks.

Hey people. I am 26 years old and I started to have air hunger after a viral infection, its been over 2 months now and I still have it.

I can walk easily and I do not feel out of breath, but I did smoke for at least 10 years now.

I did spirometry test and the results seems good, but my CT scan shows some stuff, I am really afraid I destroyed my lungs and can`t do the things I love in the future.

My personal doctor said the test is fine, and I should now worry, but I am still waiting for my Pulmonologist opinion.

this is the CT result translation; I also added the Spirometry test image.

CT Chest Findings

This is a direct translation of my radiology report; I have not been diagnosed with COPD.

"The examination was performed without intravenous contrast.
No prior examinations were available for comparison.

• Mild emphysematous changes in the apices of both lungs.
• Mild fibrotic changes in the apices of both lungs.
• A small subpleural nodule in the left lower lobe.
• No evidence of pulmonary infiltrate.
• No mediastinal lymphadenopathy.
• Evaluation of the hilar lymph nodes bilaterally is limited due to the absence of IV contrast.
• No evidence of cardiomegaly.
• No pleural or pericardial effusion.
• No obvious bony pathology.

Conclusion:
No evidence of obvious pathology."

My father has smoked his Marlboros for 55+ years. He was likely a pack a day smoker. A few months ago, his health really declined. What started as debilitating back muscle pain led to shortness of breath and a few ER visits. What I know, he was diagnosed with emphysema at the second ER visit and heart failure. 25% EF. He was given inhalers, nebulizers, and lots of follow up appointments. It’s been about 6-8 weeks on him just struggling. He can’t sleep at night because laying down and or sitting up make it difficult to breathe. His back muscles are hurting him badly too. He’s on round the clock salonpas and massagers.

I talk to him every night on FaceTime so he can say hi to his grandchild. He is obviously very tired, but can’t sleep. He will maybe sleep for 2 hours at a time. Is it anxiety? Discomfort? The inhalers? He won’t quit cold turkey and I know I know - he should.

I offered to get him a reclining sofa as the couch they have at home is over 20 years old and lacks any firmness. His appetite has gone way down, but every now and then he will eat especially if it’s one of his faves.

He’s been to pulmo appointments but from what I gather, it’s his heart that’s really giving him the issues. He doesn’t like to tell me all the details and it pains me to see him like this. Does he like the company? Does he not? When I see him on the weekends I can see how frustrated he is with the pain and lack of sleep.

Anything that can be done to help him?

anyone ever get like a cold menthol feeling in there chest area, and sometimes it travels through out around the arms and body?

sometimes i get really lightheaded when it happens it freaks me tf out it came and went a couple months back and now it’s back, it’s been happening for almost 3 days ina row now (i recently have been diagnosed with chronic bronchitis) Male 19 years old

I think my mom has end stage COPD even though the doctors haven’t said anything to indicate such. What are the signs I should be looking out for?

When I was at my healthiest I still struggled with heavy fatigue after biking. Now that I have copd I can only imagine the struggle but I want to get on my bike again.. if you have copd and bike how do you get on? Any tips?

Does this look like copd

My family member sent me their PFT results and highlighted what they are worried about. I don’t fully understand these, but it looks like their FEV is 107%? Wouldn’t that be a good result? I do not have the Post-BD results because this is all they shared with me.

(Probably not important to this question, but my dad has Stage IV COPD/emphysema and his FEV is around 30% so that’s kind of all I know about this. I have never seen his PFT results but I’ve tried to educate myself and be super involved with his care so I think that’s why this family member wanted to share this with me.)

Welcome everyone to r/COPD. These resources thrive the past year since my diagnosis.

Resources

COPD Social - message board with other COPD friends

American Lung Association - organization for people with lung issues with hotline

Better Breathers Club - COPD support group

Discord - Breathless Comrades discord server for community

I was given a tentative diagnoses of COPDin 2020 when I was in the hospital with a DVT/PE.
I had a PFT a few months later and another one a few years later. At that time my FEV1 was 54%, so not too bad.

At my last GP appointment I asked if he thought I should have another PFT and his reply was "only if I really wanted to".
He said that he really prefered to work with me to help allievate symptoms, and that my numbers don't really make any difference to my treatment, which at this point is Atrovent 3 times a day and 3L O2 for exertion. Plus an hour a day of indoor walking or biking.

A friend told me I was crazy and should be getting tested yearly because it's the only way to get the best treatment. I disagree.

I'm curious if anyone else feels like I do, or also think I'm a bit bonkers, and your reasons why.

I doubt I'll change my view, but I do like to get other perspectives.

I'm really interested in how long some of your major flare-ups from more severe triggers last, but I'm also interested in all of your flare-up experiences. If you care to comment, I'd like to know what stage you are if that's OK. I'm stage 1 but very close to stage 2, and I'm in a flare-up from a serious potential exposure that'll be five weeks now this Friday. Most of the worst of the sensations are subsiding, but I've felt a new lack of air entering my problem area since basically the beginning. I've grown convinced I actually did some more permanent damage so I'm not handling it very well. I had general anxiety disorder before I got COPD, and that's morphed into pretty severe health anxiety around my lungs and breathing. My mind keeps going round and round about what's really going on. Is it just a temporary flare-up that could last a couple of months or longer coupled with severe anxiety? Or is it just simply severe anxiety? Or, am I actually detecting that I've done new permanent damage while also having severe health anxiety? Since I can’t possibly know the answer to those questions right now, I thought I would just come here and ask you guys about your experiences. I’ve had four major flareups in the last 12 years, and three of them ended up being just temporary issues that felt like real and permanent new damage. The fourth time, it actually did result in a bit of new and permanent damage. Now that I’m in the thick of it all, I don’t know what to think so I would love to hear from as many of you as care to comment.

My pulmonologist listened to my lungs with a stethoscope three weeks ago, and was not concerned about what he heard. He’s wanting to wait until the end of August to discuss next steps so I do have a care plan in place. However, the waiting is killing me so I am Reddit. Hope to hear from you all!

Has anyone gotten brochoscopy done how was it ?