spirometry can determine years ahead of time if you’re on the road to developing COPD. Other tests (lung Xrays, CT scans, blood gases) can also be done in someone with the symptoms of COPD, but those are generally used only to rule out other lung conditions that might be confused with COPD.
....As for what to do about already-established COPD, clearly the most important thing to do it to quit smoking. So if you’re a smoker, hey, why not consider this article as your epiphany to help you do what you’ve long wanted to do anyway, and go and talk to your doctor or your pharmacist about what method of smoking cessation might be best for you, because you’ll be pleasantly surprised, I think, about the plethora of choices available to you.
....And for those seniors who are only too ready to cop out by exclaiming (when they can take in a deep enough breath to exclaim, that is), that, “Hey, I’m just too old. It can’t possibly do me any good to quit smoking at my age”, the point I must emphasize is that it’s in fact never too late to quit smoking. Indeed, studies have shown that stopping smoking at any age does three very important things for someone with COPD: 1) it slows the relentless progression of COPD, 2) it leads to a more comfortable life than would be the case if the COPD sufferer continued to puff away, and 3) it makes the smoker to smell better everyone around them.
....A COPD sufferer must also get yearly flu shots and must also make sure to get adequately immunized against pneumonia.
....As to medications that can help COPD sufferers, bronchodilators (those drugs that are used in asthma to relax the airways) and anti-inflammatory drugs such as inhaled steroids have a prominent role to play in helping manage COPD more easily.
....A much more contentious matter (and one beyond the scope of this article) is the place of surgery in the treatment of COPD. Very briefly, some doctors believe that cutting out emphysematous lung tissue lets the less damaged parts of the lung take over and leads to better breathing, although many doctors argue just as vehemently that the surgery is not only dangerous but that it also doesn’t lead to any long-term improvement.
....Anyway, time for me to go now. There’s a very educational show on TV that I just don’t want to miss, and besides, the Canadiens have just scored so I really want to see the replay.

Dr. Art Hister can be heard on CKNW and other Corus Radio Network stations on House Calls on Saturdays at 10 AM, as well as seen on Global TV news on Saturday mornings at 9:20.