COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

COPD is common. Millions of adults in the United States have been diagnosed, and many more have it without knowing. It is a leading cause of death and of hospital stays.

• Emphysema: the walls of the air sacs are damaged, so less oxygen gets into the blood.
• Chronic bronchitis: the airways stay irritated, with a cough and mucus most days for months at a time.
• Asthma-COPD overlap: some people have features of both asthma and COPD.
• Doctors also describe COPD by how much airflow is limited (mild to very severe) and how often flare-ups happen.

• Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes (the main cause); vaping may also harm the lungs
• Breathing secondhand smoke
• Long-term exposure to dust, fumes or chemicals at work
• Air pollution or smoke from cooking or heating fires
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, an inherited condition
• Childhood lung infections or asthma

• Shortness of breath, especially with activity
• A cough that won't go away, often with mucus
• Wheezing or chest tightness
• Frequent chest colds or lung infections
• Feeling tired, or losing weight in later stages
• Flare-ups: times when breathing, cough or mucus get much worse than usual
• At your visit, your provider checks your oxygen level, breathing rate and weight, listens for wheezing or quiet breath sounds, looks at how you use your chest and neck muscles to breathe, and checks your legs for swelling and your lips and fingers for a bluish color.

The key test is spirometry, a breathing test done in our office, where you blow hard into a tube. It shows how much air you can blow out and how fast. It is often repeated after an inhaler.

Lab tests your provider may order include: a complete blood count (CBC), including eosinophils (a type of white blood cell that helps guide inhaler choice), an alpha-1 antitrypsin level, and sometimes a blood gas test or a basic metabolic panel.

A chest X-ray or CT scan may be used to look at the lungs and rule out other problems. We don't do X-rays or other imaging at our office; we refer you to a trusted outside center and review the results with you.

These tools are used by clinicians. Bring your results to your visit; they don't replace a medical evaluation.

• GOLD Criteria for COPD ↗ (opens in a new tab)Groups COPD by symptoms, flare-ups and breathing test results to help guide treatment.
• BODE Index for COPD ↗ (opens in a new tab)Combines weight, breathing test, shortness of breath and walking distance to estimate longer-term outlook.

Treatment aims to help you breathe easier, prevent flare-ups and stay active:

• Quit smoking. It's the most important step at any stage, and we can help with counseling and medicines such as Chantix (varenicline), Zyban or Wellbutrin (bupropion), and nicotine replacement (patches, gum or lozenges).
• Inhalers: quick-relief inhalers for symptoms and long-acting inhalers taken every day. Learning the right technique makes a big difference.
• Pulmonary rehab: a supervised program of exercise, breathing training and education.
• A written flare-up action plan, which may include steroid pills or antibiotics.
• Oxygen therapy if your oxygen levels are low.
• Staying active, eating well and avoiding smoke, dust and polluted air.
• Some people with severe COPD may be referred for procedures or a lung specialist.

COPD is a long-term condition that usually gets worse slowly over time. Lung damage can't be undone.

Quitting smoking and following your treatment plan can slow the decline, cut down on flare-ups and help you do more. How COPD goes varies from person to person, and no one can promise a specific result.

Your primary care team at Moaddel Medical orders breathing tests and labs, reviews your inhaler technique, builds your flare-up action plan and helps you quit smoking.

We refer you to a pulmonology partner, pulmonary rehab, or imaging when needed, and keep your care connected.

We're at 7230 Medical Center Dr, Suite 100, West Hills, CA 91307.