When to Call the Doctor

Call 911 or other emergency services now if:

• Breathing stops.

• Moderate to severe difficulty breathing occurs.

• Severe chest pain occurs, or chest pain is quickly getting worse.

Call your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if you have been diagnosed with COPD and you:

• Cough up 0.5 cup or more of blood.

• Have shortness of breath or wheezing that is quickly getting worse.

• Start having new chest pain.

• Are coughing more deeply or more often, especially if you notice an increase in mucus (sputum) or a change in the color of the mucus you cough up.

• Have increased swelling in your legs or belly.

• Have a high fever [over 101F].

• Develop flu-like symptoms.

If your symptoms (cough, mucus, and/or shortness of breath) suddenly get worse and stay worse, you may be having a COPD flare-up, or exacerbation. Quick treatment for a flare-up may help keep you out of the hospital.

Call your doctor soon for an appointment if:

• Your medicine is not working as well as it had been.

• Your symptoms are slowly getting worse, and you have not seen a doctor recently.

• You have a cold and:

  • Your fever lasts longer than 2 to 3 days.

• Breathlessness occurs or becomes noticeably worse.

• Your cough gets worse or lasts longer than 7 to 10 days.

• You have not been diagnosed with COPD but are having symptoms. A history of smoking (even in the past) greatly increases the likelihood that symptoms are from COPD.

• You cough up any amount of blood.

Talk to your doctor

If you have been diagnosed with COPD, talk with your doctor at your next regular appointment about:

• Help to stop smoking. To review tips on how to stop smoking, see the topic Quitting Smoking.

• A yearly flu shot.

• A pneumonia shot. Usually, people need only one shot. But doctors recommend a second one for some people who got their first shot before they turned 65.

• An exercise program or pulmonary rehabilitation.

• Any updates of your medicines or treatment that you may need.

Who to See

Health professionals who can diagnose COPD and provide a basic treatment plan include:

• Family medicine doctors.

• Internists.

• Nurse practitioners.

• Physician assistants.

You may need to see a specialist in lung disease, called a pulmonologist, if:

• Your diagnosis of COPD is uncertain or hard to make because you have diseases with similar symptoms.

• You have unusual symptoms that are not usually seen in people with COPD.

• You are younger than 50 and/or have no history or a short history of cigarette smoking.

• You have to go to the hospital often because of sudden increases in shortness of breath.

• You need long-term oxygen or corticosteroid therapy.

• You and your doctor are considering surgery, such as a lung transplant or lung volume reduction.

COPD Treatment >>