Call the emergency room if you experience:
- Blocking of breathing.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Severe chest pain.
Call a doctor immediately if you have previously been diagnosed with COPD and you:
- Expecting blood.
- Have developed shortness of breath or wheezing, which is rapidly aggravated.
- You experience chest pain.
- Cough more often than usual and notice a change in the color of the expectorated mucus.
- Have noticed swelling of the legs or abdomen.
- Developed a high temperature.
- Developed the symptoms of influenza.
If your symptoms (cough, mucus, and / or dyspnea) suddenly deteriorate, it can be an exacerbation of COPD.
[caption id="attachment_603" align="aligncenter" width="256"]
COPD Doctor[/caption]Call a doctor if:
- Your medicine does not help you.
- Symptoms gradually worsen.
You have a cold and:
- Your fever lasts longer than 2 - 3 days.
- Dyspnea became much worse.
- Cough aggravated or lasts longer than 7 to 10 days.
- You have not been diagnosed with COPD, but you have symptoms. Smoking increases the likelihood of COPD.
- You're coughing up blood.
Consult your doctor
If you are diagnosed with COPD, ask your doctor for advice on:
- Annual vaccination against influenza.
- Vaccination against pneumonia.
- Physical training and rehabilitation programs for the lungs.
- Any renewal or substitution of medication or therapy.
Who to contact
To medical professionals who can diagnose and treat COPD, include:
- Family doctors.
- Therapists.
- Nurses of the highest qualification.
- Assistant physician.
You can also be referred to a pulmonologist if:
- Your diagnosis of COPD is uncertain.
- You have unusual symptoms.
- You are under 50 and do not smoke.
- You often go to the hospital because of sudden exacerbations of breathlessness.
- You need long-term oxygen therapy or corticosteroid treatment.
- You are thinking about surgery, for the purpose of a lung transplant or a reduction in lung volume.