First of all, until you have a spirometry test or a Pulmonary Function Test, you don't know whether you have COPD, which is the umbrella term for emphysema, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and sometimes asthma, depending on which doc you talk with. Most of us don't have just one, most of us have elements of all three, so to get a diagnosis of emphysema may not be correct.

If your COPD is mild, as measured by the GOLD formula, with the proper treatment, you can remain there forever. That proper treatment includes appropriate meds; O2 usage if necessary (at mild, usually not); no smoking; daily exercise of at least 30 minutes; good diet and nutrition; normal weight; annual flu shots; pneumonia shots as directed by your doc; staying away from people with bugs (including grandchildren; they're petrie dishes) and getting treatment ASAP if you do get something respiratory.

For good information that is vetted before it's posted and designed to be honest but not scare the pants off you, go to www.copefoundation.org and use the learn more tab. Start learning; information is power. It's perfectly possible to live a very full, healthy and satisfying life with mild, moderate, severe or very severe COPD. I've been in the severe range for 30 years.

Symptoms in the severe stage can be much the same as in the mild stage; you do have a lower FEV1, but everything else can be pretty much the same, depending on what sort of shape you're in, weight control, etc. Generally you require more meds for symptom relief, though not necessarily. This is a very individual disease and how it presents and how people manage it can be quite different.

Hello hannahxx;
I was told i had copd in 2004/5, but I never worried or took it seriously until recently when it progressed to moderate. It did progress mainly because I did nothing to help myslef, although I was highly active it was not enough, I needed to exercise which I did not. Me too, I have an 8 year old daughter and an 18 year old. Recently, I also got depressed because I kept thinking about my family this and that as if I die tomorrow. I was able to sleep for days, add to that the use of Albutrol which causes insomnia, but you know what! I spoke to many good folks many in this forum here and elsewhere, among them is Jean and they gave me some good advice, I read so much info and then things started to get back to normal, and now I can sleep. I learned that the key is excercise,exercise, and everyday I would do pulmonary rehab here at home, my doc did not think i needed one, but I'm giving myself one every two days half hour of breathing technics I find in youtube by professionals. All of this has helped me feel better, sleep better, concentrate on positive things. There is no reason to dwell on the disease side of the story, I can dwell on positive things I can do to help myself enjoy my life, what happened happened and we can turn back time, but the present and the futur we have a say in it. Jean gave you some good advice, just take good care of yourself and you will manage to have a good life.
I wish you all the best to you and to your little ones.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member the question is not so much how advanced emphysema is, as how much does it affect one's physical performance. If you exercise regularly, and by that I mean push yourself a bit, not just stay active, then a strong diaphragm and good muscle efficiency can mean that it may take a long time before significant problems develop.

Avoid smoke and fumes, and you'll give yourself the best chance...... A lung function test may well give you reassurance. In any case, anxiety will not help, so try to relax, many people live for many decades with emphysema, whereas the distraction of anxiety might make you walk out in front of a truck! So drop those shoulders, life is still good.. . ☺ 🍀

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A MyCOPDT...

I went from having severe COPD to moderate which is not common but does occassionally happen. Exercise , PRAYER, and QUITTING SMOKING are the only reasons for my success, which all started with me taking the attitude to fight this. Get up and fight this for yourself.
Cheers
Ken