COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
is there a diff between copd and emphasema?ive never beed told,i see a lung speciallist oct 20,im 6 ft and 360 ibs when im sitting imnormal,when i walk 20 yars im out of breath,but i can ride my airdyn bike 5 miles without a problem,i would think that losing weight will help,will i have good resulte looseng weight and duing my bike of is this as good as it gets?my resting ox is usually 96,pulse 67,have not checked ox after the bike but my pulse returns in the 60s after 5 min,sorry bout all the ? but it seems hard to find non-conflckting info,thanks
COPD is an umbrella term for several conditions-chronic bronchitis emphysema and asthma. Did your doctor do a lung function test and was other testing done.?Those tests would give you a diagnoses- even though some of those diseases can overlap.
Many of us with copd have good oxygen saturation readings at rest, but it drops when we move around. On the other hand, some people with copd have shortness of breath even though their oxygen saturation is good.
Being overweight/obese can cause shortness of breath. Losing weight should help you, even if it turns out you have COPD. I know of a woman on another copd support forum who lost 100 pounds and was able to reduce her oxygen usage. She was on O2 24/7, but now only uses it at night and when she travels by air.
Of course, it goes without saying that smoking is a big no-no.
A full pulmonary function test (PFT) will determine whether or not you have lung disease, what type, and what stage it is. The test takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The test is non-invasive; you blow into a tube a bunch of times while the technician literally cheers you on to exhale more, more, more. The test is usually scheduled after you have an initial consultation with a pulmonologist.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Susan