When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it’s important to work closely with your doctor to manage your condition and prevent complications from developing. Clear communication, a COPD symptom action plan, and regular visits to your physician can make a big difference in helping you take good care of yourself and stay healthy. Here’s a step-by-step guide to talking to your doctor effectively about COPD:

Step One: Set your goals.

First, ask your doctor how serious your COPD is, what your breathing results are (as measured by spirometry), and what you can expect over time. Then, find out what your goals should be for managing the disease and how you should monitor your symptoms and responses to treatment. Should you use a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being severe?

Step Two: Manage your medicines.

Ask your doctor to explain why you’re taking a particular medication, how it works, and whether it’s a “maintenance” or “controller” medication for daily use or a “reliever” drug that should be used on an as-needed basis to quickly relieve symptoms. Are there any side effects or potential interactions you should watch out for? If it’s an oral medication, should it be taken with or without food? Also, ask your doctor to check your technique for using an inhaler and whether you’d benefit from using a spacer with a metered dose inhaler. Depending on the severity of your COPD, your doctor also may prescribe a nebulizer (a device that delivers liquid medications to your lungs via steam) or oxygen therapy; ask your doctor to explain exactly how you should use these treatments.

Step Three: Look at your lifestyle.

Find out how you should modify your eating habits, what type of exercise is best for you, whether you should learn specific breathing exercises, and whether you should take medication beforehand if you have breathing difficulties while exercising. Also, what steps should you take to avoid exposure to air pollution and other irritants? Should you get a special air filter for your home? Should you learn relaxation techniques (such as progressive muscle relaxation or meditation) to help relieve anxiety when you get short of breath? Should you try to lose weight? Being anxious or overweight can worsen the symptoms of COPD. 

Step Four: Plan ahead.

Ask your doctor how often you should be seen for routine visits and what tests and vaccinations (for the flu or pneumonia) you should expect at these appointments. In addition, find out what other medical conditions—like asthma, depression, heart disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease or sleep apnea—may complicate your management of COPD and when you should seek additional help for those.

Step Five: Fill in the blanks.

To make sure you’re not overlooking anything important, it helps to ask your doctor a few catch-all questions, such as: What else do I need to know? What stumbling blocks should I watch out for in my care? What signs suggest that my COPD is getting better or worse? What kinds of symptoms or changes should always be reported to you? When should I seek emergency care and what kind of medication should I take in the meantime?