I'm scared guys I had 80% last year and I'm going to have a spirometry next week annual year one I'm just scared about al of it cant come to terms and still loads of questions x
80% lung function : I'm scared guys I... - Lung Conditions C...
80% lung function
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bryan45735
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I am 46% LF now but still plodding on 
As for many questions whatever you have put them down onto paper and either give it to the health carer or ask for the answers. I am also having a Spirometry test this month too.
Be Well
Thankyou
Hi there,
No point in worrying before you have a problem. Tests are good, they tell the doctors a lot more than they know from just looking at you.
If your FEV1 was 80% last year then that's great. At my first test mine was 56%. Yes mine dropped rapidly to 30% but all the doctors were shocked. That's not the norm. People differ but most take a lot longer to 'get worse'. I've stayed at 30% for over 2 years now.
If you have been taking your medication, getting exercise, eating healthy food and avoiding people with known infections then it's quite likely that you will not see many changes to your FEV1.
If you have not been to pulmonary rehab I suggest you ask to go. You will learn a lot there, including how to relax.
Wishing you well x
I'm not on medication yet they seem to think its anxiety I'm walking 20 30 miles most weekends in a day
That's amazing well done you!!
Sorry I replied to your last post rather than this one. Cx
I am told its copd had chest xray every thing normal but I see alot of people that say they have emphysema and copd or 1 and the other so how can you no if it copd or emphysema I hope that doesnt sound confusing x
Hello Bryan. 👋
There are two main forms of COPD,
Chronic bronchitis and Emphysema. In essence Emphysema is part of the COPD "club". Sorry to butt in by the way.
And if your numbers were that good last year I am very happy for you. Take care. xx
That's ok but how would I no which one I had doc has just said copd
They will have to run tests. It will take time. Lung diseases are notoriously hard to diagnose.
My doctor and nurse won't tell me which either and I have kept asking. They just insist it's all copd and it doesn't matter. I think they don't know. x
same here
Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are COPD. Usually one has one or the other. Only a CT scan can determine which one you have if you are diagnosed COPD. Normal chest x rays do not pick up either.
I have to disagree with that as normally most people have primarily one but with a bit of the as well, though it is possible to have just emphysema.
That's ok x
Be Optimistic Brian, FEV1 @80% is what we would all love to have, I am Emphysema Severe Stage 4 @ 17%, Still Plodding on with Oxygen and always Positive. Take all these wonderful Answers and may they Lift you. Keep us informed. xxxxC.
Hello bryan45735, really 80% is pretty good and it's better for you not to stress yourself out. Probably easier said than done, right? I too have severe emphysema, pseudomonas aeruginosa and mild bronchiectasis at 13%. Life goes on... I have more time to write now- it's my hobby. I had writer's block for many years and have recently powered through it. The bad thing now is my grammar 😧
Have a good weekend and don't worry, be happy!
grannyk 🍃
I will worry I'm 44 and I will progress fast
Hopefully the progression will be a slow one. 🙂
Why will ypu progress fast?
I dont no I'm doing everything I've be told to do I dont no weather I'm coming or going copd or emphysema I dont no what's going on all I'm told it's very mild copd so how do I no it's not emphysema reason I went for chest xray is for peace of mind and it's done nothing getting told things
Could it be that the world health organisation say that it is possible to diagnose COPD with spirometry alone;
who.int/news-room/fact-shee...
i agree that a CAT scan is best obtained to specify the person's individual condition but COPD can be diagnosed without one. 
So why did I have a chest xray I was told if a great deal of damage was done to your lungs emphysema would show
Bryan i can not comment on your individual diagnosis,a routine chest x ray would show up lung damage caused by emphysema as does spirometry indicate either a restrictive or obstructive problem with the lungs.you don't mention if you are under the care of a consultant and what discussions you have had with him/her.
i would imagine that if your fev1 was more severely depleted you would be going down that route but at the moment you appear to be diagnosed as mild with an fev 1 of 80% and you are being managed accordingly with inhalers for both preventive and immediate relief and i fear that you are overthinking what is a very manageable situation.
Regards Ski's and Scruff's
I havant got any inhalers as yet because they say it's my anxiety
I am surprised as the normal default position for anybody presenting with mild copd is at least a salbutamol inhaler such as ventolin for relief in the cases of slight breathlessness,perhaps something to discuss with your GP?
Yes you are obviously very anxious and that in itself can sometimes make you feel that your breathing is a struggle and you obviously need help in controlling that anxiety.
If you have a high moderate to severe emphysema, it will sometimes show on a xray, not always. The only way you can tell if it is emphysema for sure is a CT scan. And, that comes from the best medical facilities in the U.S. .
With your 80%, I would concern myself with a enjoyable weekened!! Your 44 and 80% ....that's real good!!
Take care, Stay well!!
As I understand it only severe/ advanced emphysema would show on X-rays as it alters shape and size of lungs but if mild often is missed. CT shows soft tissue as well and will show even mild emphysema . As I understand it emphysema should not be diagnosed by x ray alone. X rays will show up I.e.pneumonia ,tumours , bones . I asked for a ct scan to determine what form of copd I had.
Yes I agree ,the cat scan will determine the form of copd either emphysema or chronic bronchitis usually after spirometry.
Yes I agree Ct scan and x-rays. My doctor had me go to the hospital . Then he found out I have sever COPD and sever ASTHMA.
I dont understand how in the UK they rely on a nurse so much, there not doctors and sounds like they diagnose things before they get the results of a CT and x-ray. To me that would scare the Hell out of me if I got inhalers the doctor didnt ok.
But i realize in the UK theres a shortage of medical . I'm sorry to here. I guess I'm a bit spoiled as I'm a military veteran and I get great coverage. Sorry if I offend anyone.
God Bless
This is my story I gets a spirometry 80% copd nurse said I've very mild copd
If they do all the spirometer test, one actually tests with the inhaler as well to see how your lungs respond.
Also, with respect to your question about diagnosing you using an X-ray. The actual X-ray maybe being used to remove some of the possible causes for for your lung problems. Plus, with them not having a CT or MRI they are only guessing that there is 80% lung function available. But, what they will not tell you because of lack of test that are more informative is how much is actual lung damage versus how much is actual lung inflammation.
Some doctors use the title COPD as a catch all. There are lots of things that can cause lung concerns. But by the sounds of you life you are very active, so I wouldn’t worry very much. Just enjoy each day as it comes, you truly never really know what tomorrow will bring.
You can also have emphysema and chronic bronchitis and not have COPD.
Yes correct,you can have emphysema show up on a ct scan but if your spirometry is in the normal range then you don't have copd. There was a man on here who had a fev1 and fvc both over 100 per cent , and a fev1/fvc ratio over 0.7 but he had severe emphysema on a scan.
I dont understand none of it all I was told is copd 80% fev1 now I need to no if its emphysema
The only person who can diagnose your condition is a trained doctor. We cannot.
Hi RedSox, yes Hoobs is correct COPD is a Chronic Obstruction diagnosed by spirometrey. You can have emphysema and bronchitis as stand alone ailments without the chronic obstructive ventilatory deficit. It is much more common that these ailments do present with the obstructive deficit shown by spirometrey ie , COPD
It is always an apprehensive time , before you know your results . If you were 80% last year , that is an excellent % . Make sure you discuss everything with your consultant, or whoever you see for your tests, that will help ease any fears and apprehensions you have .
My husband is 28% lung function .
Enjoy every day , have fun , as that all helps greatly .
Bryan45735, I think the point is that 80% is great and 20 miles walking is _phenomenal_! Don't smoke, keep exercising and you'll live a healthy, probably long life. Make each day a happy one and you are all set! I can't imagine better. <3
hi Bryan, lm down to 75 % and lm scared like you ,lv started doing all the right things exercising ,eating the right food , so lets hope luck is on our side. good bless Rodders
Was you 75% when u found out mate
bryan thanks for reply , no l was going great , then then l came of steroids down to one tablet a day , then my lung volume fell back , so lm back on 3 tablets a day ,l feel good now but l want to come off steroids as soon as possible. good luck god bless Rodders
I wish I was 80% fev1 with no Meds to take I'll swap with u as would all of us I've had emphysemia 15 yrs I'm 23%predicted fev1 I can't walk to the bathroom without being out of breath and your walking 30/40 miles in a day jeez I wish u got no worries
My test last year showed no change from year before. That might be the case for you. Worry will just make you I'll and change nothing. Be kind to yourself. 80% is not a death sentence.
Your lungs deteriorate from the age of 27yrs so even if you didnt have COPD or any other lung disease they will deteriorate as you get older so wont always be 80%. I wouldn't worry if you are walking 20 to 30 miles. Most on here are Severe like myself and happy we are able to walk lol. Why worry over something that hasn't happened. . I, like Hypercat have only been told I have COPD and I accept this, as for the tests they are a load of bunched up numbers which I dont need to know. Everyone is different so cant be compared. You seem to be doing well so enjoy every day, there are others far worse off believe me. Good luck.
We do understand what you are saying and agree with you. But as we have told you many times before CT scans aren't routinely done under the NHS in the UK. It's not the same here as in the USA where you have insurance and pay or co-pay and pick the specialist you want to see. We have to be referred by our g.p (primary doctor) and if they refuse then that's it.
Going privately is very expensive and even then sometimes you have to have the NHS's permission. Also the NHS doesn't have to take any notice of private treatment, or can insist all your treatment is private! Mainly only wealthy people can afford that.
It is possible to test your lung function with a blood test. The test would determine the level of oxygen in your blood. The lower the level the worse the damage.
In Canada we also need to be referred by our GP to any specialist. We do have government assistance for basic necessities but that is mostly just directed to very young children. We do however have assistances for those with disability. They help with the cost of some medication. When I was strictly just going off my insurance from work my monthly prescription cost were just short of $200, of which just over a hundred was for my oxygen.
Good luck and let us know your results of your tests
I suppose in the wide range of things we could say we can test "lung function" with an ABG test PLCHnME. Yet, it is different from a spirometry test. A spirometry test will In fact measure the rate of air flow and estimates lung size where as a ABG tests directly measure the levels of gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, in your blood. The gold system for grading COPD takes into consideration the patient's symptoms, hospital admissions, and the results of spirometry testing (FEV1) mainly. It does not take into consideration the ABG test results. Our FEV 1 for better or worse tells us where we stand with our lung function. Or at least this is how I understand it. 😊
Bryan, I hope you get a diagnosis soon. What ever that turns out to be it is good that it has been diagnosed while you are at 80%. You have a chance to slow progression with a few life changes. Do you smoke? If you do, you must stop. BLF have lots of information about managing life with lung disease. When I was first diagnosed (29%) they were really helpful and on here and I still don’t know whether I have emphysema or chronic bronchitis. This site is brilliant if you are unsure about some aspect, always lots of encouragement and plenty of experience. I hope your spiro goes well. If you can you might need to calm down a bit before then.
Hiya I gave up as soon as I was told I wasnt sent for a spirometry I asked the doctor as I was freaking out about breathing it was more my anxiety I'm nearly 6 months smoke free I have a spirometry test this coming monday and get my results next Thursday but my anxiety is more the problem googling copd not good doctor has been fantastic copd nurse said she is not giving me a inhaler as it's more anxiety well we will see next week as for my walking I'm doing a lot of walking to raise money for mental health
You are doing well so far, you should be pleased with yourself. Such a shame about the anxiety, let’s hope you can overcome that soon. I would suggest you ignore Dr. Google, the info is outdated and mostly wrong. Spirometry is the benchmark for COPD in UK but a great deal depends on how you feel each day rather than numbers. I wish I had your motivation. Good luck on Thursday
I've a 3 year old boy that's my motivation
It has just occurred to me that you might benefit from some deep breathing exercises. Breath in deep through the nose, get your tummy to rise for a count of say 4 and breath out through nose for 8 (or for twice as long as the breaths in)
I do this every Day as much as I can, in for 4 out for 10, it helps so much. XXX
It is quite relaxing too
I was diagnosed as severe emphysema only after a ct scan. Prior to that for years I didn’t know what I had so assumed it was asthma but it puzzled me as I had no allergies apparently. I asked respiratory nurse at a new surgery and she diagnosed COPD simply by asking what mucas was like when coughed up saying it’s COPD if frothy . She was right it turned out.
I bet!
80% is at the lower end of what is known as the 95%tile range, which is the normal range of lung function for someone of your particular characteristics; the actual range is 80-120%, because half the population have better than average lung function, and the other half have lower than average, the average being 100% (obviously!).
If it's any consolation, I didn't realise I had a problem at all until I was diagnosed with 50% lung function at the age of 66, which probably explains why people can operate on one lung. I'm now 69, and the medication has raised my lung function to 63%. An average set of lungs will keep you going until you are 130 years old so, at 80%, you should last until you are 104!
COPD is an umbrella term covering several conditions. This will look harsh in black and white but does the type really matter? Is one preferable to another? If it's the "wrong" sort what then? I've learned that years of anxiety and depression I've suffered are down to looking at the tiny details and ignoring the bigger picture.
In the last 18 months 've been diagnosed with COPD and suffered several heart attacks, I've lost my HGV licence, my job of 35 years and my income but instead of just looking at what I can't do tomorrow I'm looking at what I can do next week, next month & next year. Three years ago I'd be throwing myself off a bridge in a pit of gloom and despair, now I do the physio, I go to the gym, I get out and about mixing with people. I have things I want to do and I get out and do them. I have a lung condition, whether it be emphysema or COPD matters not.
I feel like you Bryan, doesn’t help to dwell. Though I think I take much better care of myself than I think I might have done, it was a good wake up call to take a good look at diet and exercise and also keep away from any added stresses. Sorry to hear about your job, similar happened to my Husband, it is a shock at first.
Hi Bryan just to say. I hope your spirometry test goes well next week.
At and around 80% should not cause you too much concern and if you stay a non smoker and stay mobile it should stay mild.
For many people ( that you’ve probably been reading about/ dwelling on) they are not diagnosed until their copd, whatever form, is much further along therefore have been smoking longer and caused more damage. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 56% .After being put on inhalers and stopping smoking I’m around 70% (with inhalers ) and hope to be for many more years. Most people when diagnosed with mild COPD have a short acting inhaler to use as required I.E. when breathless after going up hill. It may be worth asking your GP for one to have in case.
So to get a diagnosis early as you have is good ( many on here wish we did). Don’t panic about it, just keep off the cigs and try to avoid getting close up with people with colds.
You are so lucky some. People here walk about 10 steps and feel they will pass out with breathlessness that's when you should worry. My lung function test show's 28 percent stop worrying and enjoy your life😆
Wow thanks guys I no everyone is different but everyone off u are inspirational I will keep u informed xx
Bryan, I’ve been under 30% for 20 years and am still hanging in there with a decent quality of life!
My first test l was 23% and now 32 to 37.Good doc and rite meds and some exercise helped.you will be fine
80% is good. I’m at 65% I still manage to live normally without using inhalers most of the time. Anxiety is definitely a factor in your breathing so I’d focus more on controlling that. It sounds like you are active so that’s good. To me it’s sounds like you’ll be fine so try to maintain a positive outlook and talk to your doctor about your concerns and anxiety. Staying positive and active are the two most important things you can do
Hi so I had my spirometry last monday and results are thursday after 6 months my lung age was 55 I've got it down to 53 years old I will be 45 years old next week still no inhalers I'm doing a charity walk in november walking 80 miles from Bristol to portland bill weymouth I'm walking every day 10 miles + and weekends 60+ miles most times now I have to wait till next feb to have a spirometry but doctor said i wouldn't really need one as of results still 80% stage 1 mild have to still see the spirometry nurse on 28th feb because I've questions to ask
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