RULING OUT COPD WITH AN ASTHMA DIAGNOSIS

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) are both lung diseases that make breathing more difficult. It’s common for a patient with one disease to have symptoms of the other, and sometimes people have both conditions, called asthma-COPD overlap. This makes both conditions more difficult to diagnose. One difference is that asthma can improve, and symptoms may come and go, while COPD symptoms are constant and worsen over time. Asthma attacks cause chest tightness and wheezing, while COPD causes a cough with phlegm. Spirometry tests, bronchodilators, and trigger tests are used to help diagnose asthma. If COPD is also suspected, chest X-rays and arterial blood tests can be used to diagnose, rule out, or look for asthma-COPD overlap.

P.S. Asthma-COPD overlap is more common in people who had childhood asthma. It is common to have COPD without asthma and vice versa.

---

< < Back to All Articles