Asthma and COPD

I would be grateful of any advice and support. I have recently been diagnosed with mild copd after a spirometry test. Apparently my lung function was 70% with little reversibility. I have no daily symptoms to speak of but have mild hiatus hernia that brings on breathlesness. I don't smoke (experimented as a teen but not much). The test was routine as I am registered as a mild asthmatic with my doctor and is the first time I have had such a test (looks like it must be a new target for the doctors to call patients in for such a test?). Being diagnosed with copd was initailly very worrying especially as the doctor can give no prognosis. I have very little breathlesness and enjoy an active life and hill walking.

My history: I have had what I was told was ""asthma"" since childhood. As a child it was bad but in those days doctors knew nothing about it and I was told I would probably grow out of it. That did appear to happen. From my teens onwards I was mostly okay but would get a couple of bad attacks a year (relieved with inhalers and antibiotics) and some years no attack at all. In between times I was fine and didn't use inhalers. In my 30s these rare bouts of ""asthma"" were slightly more severe but always returned to normal. No or very little breathlesness in between times. In my late 30s I started to suffer more from indigestion and became more aware that bouts of indigestion corresponded with breathlesness. This came to a head with 2 episodes when I was admitted to hospital with chest pains and severe breathlesness. My heart was tested and was okay. They diagnosed hiatus hernia after further tests. They put me on ranitidine and I discovered that it was brilliant at stopping ""asthma"" attcaks as well. Because of the costs of prescriptions I didn't always take the drugs but was fine heatlh wise and I was altering my diet to avoid problems.

That brings me roughly upto date and to the point where the cotor did the spirometry test and said I had copd. He put me in another form of indigestion tablet to take verey day and says I must take the steroid inhaler every day. This I am doing and I am fine and regularly go hill walking. No symptoms. BUT I am worried - I have lost 30% of my lung performance. What is going on? What should I do? Should I seek specialist advice (my doctor is very laid back in my view). Would really like some advice and support from others at this time?

Matt

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Please see the C.O.P.D post on medical.

Tks xx