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UNDERSTANDING
COPD

DIAGNOSIS OF COPD

COPD SCREENING TEST

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Are you at risk of having COPD? Answer the below questions to determine your risk.
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This test is not intended to diagnose or replace medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Are you male or female?
Male Female
How old are you?
49 years or younger 50 to 59 years 60 or older
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Have you ever smoked, and how much?
No Yes
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Do you have phlegm when you do not have a cold that irritates you and never seems to clear up?
No Yes
Do you struggle with shortness of breath or feeling breathless when you walk a little faster on flat ground or at a slight incline?
No Yes
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Do you have a cough when not having a cold, which seems to never clear up?
No Yes
Have you ever undergone a test with a spirometer, where you must breathe into a mouthpiece linked to a machine/computer that measures your lung function?
No Yes
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Your results

This test is not intended to diagnose or replace medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional.
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Diagnosis

Many people have early-stage COPD but are not yet aware of it, and they are therefore not proactively protecting their lungs from further damage. Up to 7 in every 10 people who experience persistent breathing issues have never been diagnosed. 15

No matter your age, if you have any of the risk factors for developing COPD, speak to your doctor today to have your lung function tested, even if you do not yet experience symptoms.

There are a few tell-tale signs that you may be suffering from COPD that you need to look out for. If you experience one or more of these signs, it is strongly recommended that you ask a doctor to check your lung function. 12

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Struggling to breathe

that is getting worse over time, or gets worse when you exercise, or is experienced all the time

Getting lower respiratory infections (chest colds) often

A cough

that may come and go, with or without phlegm

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Wheezing

that comes and goes

Exposure

to any of the elements listed below 

Struggling to breathe

that is getting worse over time, or gets worse when you exercise, or is experienced all the time
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Getting lower respiratory infections (chest colds) often

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A cough

that may come and go, with or without phlegm

Wheezing

that comes and goes

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Exposure

of the elements listed below:

  • Tobacco smoke, vaping or hookah
  • Smoke from home cooking or heating fuels
  • Occupational (work-related) dust, vapour, fumes, gases and chemicals
    Having a family history of COPD, being born prematurely or with low birthweight, or having had many childhood respiratory infections (such as the common cold or chest colds)
  • Tobacco smoke, vaping or hookah
  • Smoke from home cooking or heating fuels
  • Occupational (work-related) dust, vapour, fumes, gases and chemicals
  • Having a family history of COPD, being born prematurely or with low birthweight, or having had many childhood respiratory infections (such as the common cold or chest colds)
Having one or more of the above signs does not necessarily mean that you have COPD; you will have to have a spirometry test done to be formally diagnosed.12

Testing

Spirometry test

A spirometry test is a very basic and commonly used breathing test that assesses how well your lungs work. A spirometer measures how much air goes in and out as you breathe. The benefit of getting a spirometry test is that it can detect abnormalities early on, before symptoms even appear. Therefore, treatment can start sooner. 17
spirometry test with patient
During a spirometry test, the following are measured: 17
Forced vital capacity (FVC) Forced expiratory volume – one second (FEV1) The FEV1/FVC ratio (FEV1%)
Measures your lung size (in litres) and represents the air volume in the lungs that can be exhaled following a deep inhalation. Measures how much air can be exhaled in one second following a deep inhalation. Represents the percentage of your lung size (FVC) that you can exhale in one second.

For example, if the FEV1 is 4 and the FVC is 5, the FEV1/FVC ratio would be ⅘ or 80%, which means you can breathe out 80% of the inhaled air in your lungs in one second.

Generally speaking, a healthy FEV1% for adults is above 70%, while a healthy FEV1% for children is 80–85%.
If your FEV1% is below 70 %, the chances are very good that you may have COPD. However, this measurement alone is not necessarily enough to diagnose COPD. 12 If you are at risk of developing COPD, it is important to ask your doctor to check your lung function. In some people, symptoms might only appear when their lung function is already down to 50-60 % of its predicted value, making it more difficult to protect the lungs early. 10

Other tests

Your doctor may perform a chest X-ray to see if there is damage to your lungs. An X-ray can show emphysema in your lungs. 4 You may also be given an oximeter to place on your finger to test how much oxygen is in your blood (oxygen saturation). Your doctor may also order other tests like a CT scan, blood tests and other laboratory tests. These tests do not help to diagnose COPD but rather help the doctor determine how the condition has already impacted your overall health, and the possibility that you may have any other conditions.4

Find out more

About COPD and its symptoms

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term that involves two conditions called chronic bronchitis (bron-ki-tis) and emphysema. A person could have only one or both of these conditions at the same time.8

Read More

COPD causes and risk factors

COPD is a preventable condition, and the first step in keeping your lungs healthy is to know what the most likely causes are. 8

Read More