please help me understand

[brannasnannie]

I just went and picked up a medical record from my lung specialist.There were several things in it that I didn''t know about.Thr first thing was about a medical term called dypsnea. What exactly is this? Also there was a remark on there about no bronchodilator response.What does that mean? The only thing I was told was that I had COPD period.Could someone please help with any information.Thank you

[National Jewish Health]

Dyspnea means shortness of breath.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are characterized by narrowing of the airways, leading to obstruction to airflow.  When pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are done, they may be performed before and after the inhalation of a bronchodilator medicine, such as albuterol.  This medicine and other bronchodilator medicines like it are capable of opening the airways; reversing the obstruction.  This bronchodilation can occur with asthma or COPD, but the reduction of airflow obstruction is generally more likely with asthma than COPD and this response is much greater with asthma than COPD.

Having COPD 2 things are important for you:  1) the degree of obstruction to airflow; and 2) the fact that a person with COPD can benefit significantly from the use of a bronchodilator medicine, even when there "is no bronchodilator response."  To put it bluntly, COPD is a treatable disease and you should be treated with a long-acting inhaled bronchodilator such as Serevent® Inhalation Aerosol (salmeterol xinafoate) or Spiriva® HandiHaler® (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder).

Good luck.