Stages 1,2,3 & 4 of copd,

[rtaxron]

I keep reading people saying, they have stage 1,2,3 & 4 of copd, but how was this decided, as I have never been told by the hospital, specialist or copd nurse, and I have it bad.

[stone-UK]

Hi

It’s the result of a spirometer test. The four stages are represented by a percentage number range.

80% – mild COPD (able to achieve normal results after medication)

50-79% – moderate COPD

30-49% – severe COPD

less than 30% – very severe COPD

1= Mild

2= Moderate

3=Severe

4=Very Severe

[Tilley19 in reply to stone-UK]

Reading 40 last Tuesday nurse could not believe it has dropped so quickly from last year but had a lot of chest infections

[Hidden]

It's decided by your lung function as per stones reply above. If you want to know yours just ask. I don't know if they tell you as a matter of course.

[Hidden]

Spirometry is only part of it, if you're under a consultant at the hospital you will likely have a CT scan, cardiac check and a full lung function test of which spirometry is only a part. The consultant takes into account all results not just spirometry.

But some people do tend to just go by the spirometry result as shown on this page:

patient.info/doctor/chronic...

[Joy123]

I've never been told and would rather not know. I soldier on, have bad days and very bad days but knowing how severely ill I am isn't going to help. I've had lung disease for approx. 65 years to know what stage I'm at isn't going to make me feel any better. Joy.