Looking for information on FEV1, and Floppy Airways

[EmberDog]

I've heard other people mention FEV1. According to my letter from my lung specialist my FEV1 is very obstructed. Going from 43.7% in July down to 39% this week. I understand I'm going downhill but still not had anything really explained. As of August 2016 I could walk uphill no problem then the month after I struggled to walk even up small slopes. I have been diagnosed with floppy airways and have now been fobbed off to see a different consultant at a different hospital. Not once was I asked how it impacted my life. I'm only 41 and am unable to work initially for my fibromyalgia and disc degeneration disease in my spine. I just want to walk my dogs without gasping for air constantly.

Can anyone explain what these FEV1 results are? And could anyone point me in the direction of information on floppy airways.

Thanks in advance

Hazel

[impi42]

Hi EmberDog.

I had a visit to the hospital a couple of months ago and my FEV1 is 17%, Like you this means nothing to me and nobody seems willing or can be bothered to sit and discuss this end explain what it all means. What I have found out is that FEV is Foeced air volume ie. the amount of air that you can force out in 1 minute. This gives you the capacity of your lungs im told. Mine being so low means that I am now classed as severe. I can' seem to be able to do anything at all without being extremely breathless and gasping for air. All I get from my GP is I must try and breathe normally. If I want to go for a drive I walk to the car, sit down use my inhaler, rest for a while and then I can go for a drive but if I go somewher I cant get out of the car to walk anywhere. I have even been told "its all in your head" Very helpful. Sorry to be moaning but you are not alanoe and I hope my simple explanation of FEV helps.

regards Alan.

[EmberDog in reply to impi42]

Alan thanks for this. Hopefully my gp will help me more when I see her in a bit. I don't drive so I only go out if my husband is home from work and we drive to the field to walk the dogs or my Dad comes and picks me up to go to their house. I'm becoming very depressed. I've had spinal surgery and need to see my surgeon again but he won't touch me as my breathing is so poor. I just feel like every turn is a dead end.

[stone-UK]

Hi

FEV is the amount of air exhaled in the first second, continued exhale until you can no longer, gives your FVC the ratio FEV/FVC tells you if you condition is Obstructive or Restrictive. As you already know your condition is Obstructive.

A diagnosis of floppy airways without explanation is misleading, is it a referral to the reduced elasticity of the Aveoli walls or the medical condition Adult laryngomalacia.

medscape.com/medline/abstra...

May be the reason for a different consultant at another hospital.

I have very severe COPD not once have I been told about my expectations.

As we are all different I presume it’s different for everybody depending on lifestyles, exercise routines.

Hopefully you will get more answers at your next appointment don’t be afraid to ask questions.

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You may find the page below helpful. You can use the calculator or just scroll down below that to the table which explains what the abbreviations mean (Measurements made in spirometry). Hope this helps:

patient.info/doctor/spirome...

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The floppy airways I think they are referring to are the tubes that expand from the mouth and nose that carry air in out of the lungs. They lose the elasticity. There ability to return to their original shape. So air becomes trapped. Fev1% is referring to usable lung capacity. At 39% in the USA that would be consider copd stage 3 of the four stages. My husband is Fev1 25% which puts him at stage 4 considered very severe copd. However, many people have lived a long time with stage 4 copd. My husband gets winded easily but he exercises and walks every day. I think the exercise keeps him going.