Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and tightening of the chest are the usual symptoms of asthma. However, these are also symptoms of other more serious lung diseases. In fact, millions of people are living undiagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. According to U.S. National Institute of Health, COPD is considered to be a more serious disease because it had less favorable prognosis and linked with greater morbidity and mortality.
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Different tests can be conducted to determine if the symptoms are because of asthma or other lung conditions. Some of these tests are peak flow test, spirometry test, and methacholine test. These tests examine how well the air moves out of the lungs, how much air is exhaled and how quickly, and the last test mentioned is inhaling a chemical to see how it affects the lungs.
As mentioned, the symptoms of asthma and COPD are the same, but the causes are different. A person with chronic bronchitis has swollen and mucus-filled airways. The same happens to people with asthma, but it is a reaction to a trigger such as dust, pollen, or cigarette smoke.
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Another difference is that asthma diagnosis often occurs in childhood. However, COPD is often a result of years of smoking, which makes the disease to progress throughout the years. Thus, COPD diagnosis does not usually happen until the person is 40 years old or older.
Always remember that before getting the best treatment, patients should get the right diagnosis first.
Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon specializes in pulmonology and internal medicine. Follow this Twitter account for more articles on health and medicine.
