How does Doctor determine need for Oxygen?

[lespa]

My COPD after my lobectomy is getting worse especially in hot and humid conditions.

How do they determine if you need oxygen. I had a breathing test in a chamber once.

[SusieJo1948]

The breathing test is how they determine if you need oxygen. I just. Set in a chair with the tester sitting in front of computershe would have you put your mouth over tube put a nose plug on and she would tell you to hold breath than blow out as fast as you can. I'm fifty percent with out inhaler and 6o with inhaler which isn't good and they will put a oximerter on your finger and walk you if it is low after walking that's how they determine if you need oxygen. Having a lobectomy reduces your breathing capacity so oxygen you have to where. We are trying to get rid of the stigma that we got it from cig. When in all honesty people adults and children who have never smoked or been around smoke get this kind of cancer a lot more than you would think. They tend to want to blame it all on cig. If we smoked it was our fault. They need to stop thinking that way so we can. Get the help we need with research to come up with a cure. Lung cancer research foundation and free to breathe are trying to get rid of stigma. so they can get help finding that cure. All lung cancer patients deserve a cure. I hope this helped. Did they tell you what stage your at.I'm here for you and all of the others our here for you. Love Susie jo

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer]

Tell your oncologist or primary care doctor that you’re more short of breath and request a referral for the pulmonologist. Tell the pulmonologist that you want a Pulmonary Function Test to establish a new baseline.

I did not have a COPD diagnosis after chemo/radiation but I recognized I might. At an educational seminar I learned I might qualify for pulmonary rehab. I saw the pulmonologist, she didn’t think I needed it but went with new baseline. She was quite surprised when the results came back and I had crossed over into COPD.

This should be a Standard of Care and a no brainer but for reasons I can’t fathom it isn’t. You’ve lost breathing capacity. 20% of the function you had was surgically removed. Pulmonary rehab is a good experience.

[Feelingblessed2013]

I lost my second lobe to lung cancer 6 weeks ago. In the hospital they had me take off the oxygen and walk the hall with an oximeter on my finger. When my O2 level dropped into the low 80's they decided I had to go home on oxygen.

[twinsrusx2]

I have the exact same issue. My doc ordered oxygen when my level dropped to 88.