Well i have had COPD for 5 years and they have never said any thing about what stage I'm in. Allot of peopleihave talked to always say they in stage 2 stage 4, what does this mean. My mother died in her 4 stage of cancer, is it like this or what, just curious. Please let me know.
The "stages", like the results of your PFT or spirometry tests are just labels. Part of the reason docs don't want to tell patients these things is because people tend to freak out over them, and every time someone does freak out, that belief is reinforced. If you look at the label rationally, and realize that it's not specific to you; it's generalized from thousands or even millions of patients and realize that it's just a label or a number, it becomes a reference point only; something you can use. What really counts is how you feel and what you can do. Technically, I'm in the severe category, but I exercise every day, I travel at least twice a month by air, I consult in my professional field and act as a COPD advocate and patient consultant. It's just a reference point.........it does not define who I am.
There are a couple of "staging" systems that are used. One is the Gold system, an Internationally recognized system of staging COPD and another, slightly different one, is by the COPD Foundation. The Gold can be found here http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/gold-criteria-fo...
and the COPD Foundation's Pocket Guide can be found here http://pocketconsultantguide.copdfoundation.org/
Both are intended to help primary care physicians, who are often the ones to initially diagnose and treat COPD and often know very little about the disease and current treatments recommended, make appropriate decisions regarding meds and treatments depending on the patient's history and test results. It's good for us to know about these things, especially if we're not seeing a pulmonologist for treatment.
Great information Jean!!! Good answer!
Stages run from Stage 1 to Stage 4
Everytime I go for my breathing test, I always ask what stage that I am in, They tell me my stage at that time. I am currently in Stage 3.
I had to make my Dr. Tell me what stage I was in. He didn't want to have to tell me I'm that bad. Last of 3 beginning of stage 4