Real or Imagined Copd

[teko]

Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be an explosion of copd and emphysema? I wonder if this is as widespread as it would appear?  Lots of people being told they have it, have either not had a pft or they have never had symptoms? Only wierd to me?

[debbie58]

Hi,
    Yup, it's the disease dejour.  COPD  and osteoporosis. I'm lucky to have them both.  I would STRONGLY advise people with osteoporosis not to join the NOF TEAM Inspire.  They think osteoporosis is the end of the world and have no Dr.s to advise but a whole lot of people selling their wares (posing as members)!  I do agree that you have to quit smoking.  I went into the hospital in November 2006, in ARDS.  Spent 7 days in ICU under the very watchful eye of Dr. Costello.  She did not sugarcoat anything.  I left a non-smoker and have remained that way.  Even made my husband quit and no one is permitted to smoke anywhere near my house.  I have about 15 acres of woods, I'm sure they can find an appropriate place to kill themselves.

[teko]

Well, case in point is the following: Last October, I got a head cold and it went into my chest. Finally I went to the med dr and she sent me for an x ray to rule out pneumonia. The film came back the next day and the drs office called me and said the x ray tech, said no pneumonia but did notice emphasemous lungs.  OK, I was on meds for pneumonia and they cleared me right up even tho no pneumonia on x ray.  So I gets my x ray, a copy of the report and contact a pulmonologist for an apptment.  I goes to the pulmo, gives him my x ray and the report.  He gets mad cause the x ray tech read the x ray and gave a diagnosis. Said tech was not allowed to do that.  Anyway, he sets me up for a pft, which I take and his tech tells me I have mild emphasema.  I goes to the pulm doc himself and he says moderate and gives me scripts for these inhalers and tells me I will be on oxygen in ten years and that is if I quit smoking.  I had no couphing, sob, phlegm, nothing until about a month ago and noticed a heavy feeling in my chest. I still am not taking the meds cause they are just too expensive and no insurance. I go back in October for followup.  Since I quit smoking I feel wonderful..... hmmm

[allmymarbles]

I wonder that if they tested all of the elderly for COPD what the percentages of positives would be. I also wonder if the aged tend to devleop COPD as a matter of course. One of the reasons they find increases in illnesses in general is that they conduct more tests.

As to the media blowing things out of proportion, their most ridiculous effort has been with west Nile virus. That is truly a nothing disease that only kills those about to kick off anyway. (I caught it. It is nothing.) And as for the swine flu, so far it is less virulent than the ordinary flu. There have been more cases of flu this summer, but the same mortality rate. How do I know? I get bulletins from the Centers for Disease Control.

[allmymarbles]

The medical profession has the habit of adopting a particular ailment and finding it everywhere. Attention deficit disorder is a good case in point. Now millions of children are being drugged for just being rambunctious. As for COPD my, brother, who is 85, has a very mild case of chronic bronchitis. His doctor told him to take Advair. That is absolutely overmedication for a very minor ailment. I don't know if he told him he has COPD, but I know for a fact that he does not. He used my air flow meter and practically blew the top off. To put it another way, his lungs are better than normal.

[little_weed]

When I queried why I had no symptoms until after the virus I had last December, I was told that it was because I was so fit !!!!
Yeah . . . right . . .

[lynnkay]

Now that you mention it, it does seem weird doesn't it. I had lung xray, PFT, 2 different doctors' opinions and above all else symptoms. I though have researched COPD in depth. It is the 4th leading cause of death. It is suppose to eventually become the 3rd leading cause of death. My advice to those just being told by some doctor that they have COPD is this.....get the testing done to confirm the diagnosis and get a second opinion as well.