How to Test Yourself for COPD at Home, Plus Early Warning Signs It’s Time to See a Doctor

We’ve all felt winded when taking the stairs or dealt with a cough from time to time. But if these issues linger, they could be early signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you have breathing trouble you can’t seem to shake, you may be wondering how to test yourself for COPD.

“COPD is a chronic lung disease that affects how well your lungs function,” explains Jamie Garfield, MD, a professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. “People often don’t realize they have it because the symptoms develop gradually. But over time, it can seriously impact your ability to live your life.”

Although anyone can develop COPD, certain groups are at higher risk. People aged 40 or older and current or former smokers are the most commonly affected. However, not all cases are linked to smoking—about one in four people with COPD have never smoked. Other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, air pollution, workplace irritants like dust, fumes and chemicals, as well as genetic risk factors.

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These 6 Simple COPD Self-Care Tips Can Help You Breathe Easier

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Recognizing the signs of COPD early is critical. While there is no cure, catching the condition sooner can slow its progression and potential damage to your lungs while improving your quality of life. And self-screening tools can help you determine if it’s time to consult a doctor for testing and treatment.

Early warning signs of COPD 

Because COPD symptoms develop slowly, they’re often attributed to other causes like aging, allergies or simply being out of shape. But Dr. Garfield says these hallmark signs should not be ignored:

• Breathlessness: Finding yourself short of breath during everyday activities like climbing stairs or light housework is often an early warning sign of COPD.
• Persistent coughing: A long-standing cough that produces mucus for several months may indicate chronic bronchitis, or inflammation of the air passages to the lungs, one of the main types of COPD.
• Increased susceptibility to illness: If you seem to catch respiratory infections more frequently, such as colds, bronchitis or pneumonia, it could mean your lungs are struggling to protect themselves.
• Wheezing or tightness in the chest: These sensations can occur when airways narrow and reduce the amount of air entering the lungs. They often become more noticeable with exertion.
• Low energy levels: Fatigue that lingers, even when you’ve had enough rest, might stem from your body not getting the oxygen it needs.

“These symptoms can be nonspecific, which makes diagnosing COPD a challenge,” Dr. Garfield explains. “Looking at the whole picture—symptoms, history and risk factors for COPD—is essential to understanding what might be going on.”

How to test yourself for COPD

While you can’t officially diagnose COPD at home, self-screening tools can help you recognize patterns in your symptoms and decide if it’s time to consult a doctor.

Online questionnaires are a great starting point for assessing your risk. These tools typically ask about symptoms such as shortness of breath, smoking history and how breathing issues impact your daily life. Commonly used options include:

• COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS) from the COPD Foundation
• COPD Assessment Test (CAT)
• GOLD’s “Could It Be COPD?” Questionnaire

For example, “Could it be COPD?” asks these straightforward questions:

• Do you cough several times most days?
• Do you bring up phlegm or mucus most days?
• Do you get out of breath more easily than others your age?
• Are you older than 40 years?
• Are you a current smoker or an ex-smoker?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, it’s time to ask your doctor if you might have COPD. “These tools aren’t diagnostic, but they can help people recognize symptoms or risk factors that suggest it’s time to consult a doctor,” Dr. Garfield says.

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What about a home spirometry test for COPD?

Spirometry is a test that measures how much air you can breathe out and how quickly. It’s considered the gold standard for diagnosing COPD. Home spirometry devices are now available online, but their accuracy and reliability vary, says Dr. Garfield.

“This test requires you to exhale forcefully into a specialized device, and the results help doctors assess how well your lungs are functioning,” Dr. Garfield explains.“While home tests may help track trends over time, they aren’t a substitute for a formal COPD diagnosis.”

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How your doctor will test for COPD

If you’ve tested yourself for COPD at home and suspect you might have the condition, schedule a visit with your doctor. In addition to reviewing your medical history, he or she will likely order pulmonary function tests, also known as lung function tests. These can include a professional spirometry test, a lung volume test, lung diffusion test, pulse oximetry test and/or an exercise stress test, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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Your doctor may also order a chest x-ray to rule out other conditions, or a CT scan to help diagnose conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

The bottom line on COPD home testing

While you can test yourself for COPD at home using symptom screeners, risk evaluation and online questionnaires, only a licensed medical professional can formally diagnose the condition.

“Diagnosing COPD requires specialized tests to measure lung function and confirm airflow obstruction,” Dr. Garfield stresses. “Early recognition allows us to intervene and help preserve lung function, reduce symptoms and improve quality of life,” making it all the more important to check in with your physician any time you’re having breathing troubles.