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Can Someone Help Me With Copd Results
I initially went to the ER For chest pain that my doctor believes to believe is costochondritis but beside the point I ended up getting a catscan and a PFT Test. My Test results are not fully detailed to me . On the catscan is hyperinflated lungs the evidence of Copd diagnosis? Can't Asthma cause hyperinflated lungs ? It doesnt say anything about any bullue and not very detailed . On my Pft test results doesn't say my numbers FV Number but pulmonary doctor said I was stage 3 with 32 percent of… read more
You can’t go wrong with what @A MyCOPDTeam Member said, @A MyCOPDTeam Member.
Keep talking to your care specialists and getting copies of EVERYTHING involved in your test results to refer to when you’re trying to come up to speed.
I was hoping to get a copy of my PFT (pulmonary function test) results to share with you today, but the doc is very slow to share the data…. Never fear, I’m persistent to get what I want, LOL
Happy Thursday night, 12-SEP-24
Thank you for taking your time and giving me valid information. God Bless you . I'm still having a hard time believing I'm " stage 3 " at 40 . I'm not denying the fact that I have copd pulmonary said . My PD saying it was said to be asthma . Catscan says emphysema. Im just so confused . I do get shortness of breath but I am not active due to depression not because I'm not shortness of breath . I feel pressure in my chest the Breztri is not helping with that . I am going to seek another opinion on the spirometry test because days before the guy canceled due to machine being broke but when I did test said it was fixed . I APPRECIATE Your time explaining everything to me thank you .
Hi again, Rida. Just to circle back on things left unclarified.
Here is a link to a more "modern" explanation of the COPD Stages:
https://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/gold-criteria-f...
As you can see, any one test measurement can qualify you for a particular "stage" designation. In reality, it is a combination of numbers and actual ailments which should guide YOUR treatment plan. IF your DOC is only focused on the PFT numbers, that is very limited - and MOST subject to change! Once determined from the full test battery, the "stage" stays mostly stable - barring other major events.
Apart from any new respiratory infection, you are wise to focus on proper breathing techniques to support you through you common daily activities until your other concerns are addressed.
be Well
Ok, here’s part 3 of 3, @A MyCOPDTeam Member:
I always compare year-over-year (or test over test when I have more than one in a single year) as it helps me know if I’m holding my own.
In this case, Medicare will only pay for one (1) test a year, and if I want different seasonal results, I’m going to have to fight with my doc about holding off on the next test (Sep 2025) to get a Winter (Jan 2026), Spring (March 2026) or Summer (July 2026) PFT to see how I function in each season.
Since I know my triggers from years of prior tests, I know I’m always at my worst in the Winter, Wet or Cold weather, and my best in Summer, desert Dry, and warm weather.
Also, if you look at the 2023 PFT test vs the 2024 PFT test, you’ll note these changes:
2023 FVC pre = 43% of predicted, post = 49% with a green arrow showing improvmt
2024 FVC pre = 44% of predicted, post = 49% (ditto)
2023 FEV1 pre = 41% of predicted, post = 41% with a red down arrow = warning
2024 FEV1 pre = 41% of predicted, post = 43% with a green arrow = improvement
2023 FEV1/FVC pre = 97% of predicted, post = 84% with a red arrow = warning
2024 FEV1/FVC pre = 91% of predicted, post = 87%, (ditto)
2023 FEF 25-75 pre = 39% of predicted, post = 24% with a red arrow = warning
2024 FEF 25-75 pre = 30% of predicted, post = 28%, (ditto)
The other interesting image is the grey lung outline, showing normal lung function / potential capacity.
When you look at my 2023 inhale measurements, I got a little over 4 (upward) on the inhale post-inhaler (green line) and about 2 (aqua lower) showing my expansion is terrible without the inhaler.
Ditto on the 2023 exhale measurements, in both the green and aqua line measurements, I bottom out quickly for exhale capacity, dropping quickly to 1.5 when a healthy lung doesn’t drop until 2.3 or almost 3 before bottoming out.
Looking at that same data on the 2024, my lung function on both the inhales and the exhales were much more closely aligned, indicating little difference whether or not the inhaler was used.
These inconsistent measurements may be completely different from the type of data you receive on your own PFT results because, even though we’re coming to the COPD label from Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema, or other disease labels, we each have individual triggers and disease factors that vary from person to person.
Please know that the Gold Stages are a way to try and lump all of us into generally accurate information “buckets” or classes, but the even with identical test results, no two cases are the same for how folks react to their version of the disease.
Anyway, my standard disclaimer *** I’m not a doc, this is not medical advice ***
I hope my examples give you a place to start for talking to your doc, and how educated and involved you want to be in your care and the doc’s choices of strategies to keep you well as long as possible.
Getting off my soapbox. I hope this info helped.
Tuesday, 17-SEP-24
@A MyCOPDTeam Member - Part 2 of 3 (since this site limits us to single pictures in reply posts)
This is the general scale which shows lung function and how it’s classified.
Tuesday, 17-SEP-24
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