See a GP if you have persistent symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
To help them diagnose COPD, a GP may:
They may also do, or arrange for you to have, a breathing test called spirometry, plus other related tests of the lungs and airways.
A spirometry test can help show how well your lungs are working.
You'll be asked to breathe into a machine called a spirometer after inhaling a medicine called a bronchodilator, which helps widen your airways.
The spirometer takes 2 measurements: the volume of air you can breathe out in a second, and the total amount of air you breathe out. You may be asked to breathe out a few times to get a consistent reading.
The readings are compared with normal results for your age, which can show if your airways are obstructed.
A chest X-ray can be used to look for problems in the lungs that can cause similar symptoms to COPD.
Problems that can be shown by an X-ray include chest infections and lung cancer, although these do not always show.
A blood test can show other conditions that can cause similar symptoms to COPD, such as a low iron level (anaemia) and a high concentration of red blood cells in your blood (erythrocytosis).
Sometimes a blood test may also be done to see if you have alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. This is a rare genetic problem that increases your risk of COPD.
Sometimes more tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis or determine the severity of your COPD.
This will help you and your doctor plan your treatment.
These tests may include: