To treat any disease, doctors evaluate a number of factors like the cause, frequency, severity, duration, specific triggers, other illnesses, and the patient’s state of physical health, age, and gender. For progressive diseases, doctors evaluate the stages of the disease as well. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, is one such health condition that continues to develop and intensify over time. People who can be at risk of developing COPD include smokers, passive smokers, those living in areas with heavy air pollution, and, although rare, those with a genetic disorder.

Affecting the lungs, in particular, this is a group of diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, that can disturb the normal breathing pattern in a patient by curbing the smooth movement of air inside and out of the lungs. Therefore, shortness of the breath and constant cough with or without phlegm are the most prevailing symptoms in people with COPD. By categorizing COPD into different stages, doctors can understand how the illness affects various people, weigh in the treatment options that can be adopted, and pay attention to the research required to prevent the onset of COPD.

Spirometry is the most commonly used pulmonary function test that evaluates the efficient functioning of the lungs. That is, the amount of air that can be taken in and exhaled and the speed of air exhaled in a second are both tested.

GOLD Staging is a general method used for classifying the different stages of COPD. This breathing test segregates the symptoms in four different stages.

When the spirometry test score is low, it means the illness is very severe, and correspondingly when the test score is high, it refers to a very low or minimal degree of severity that can be worked on and managed comfortably. A test result of GOLD 1/Stage 1 is mild, GOLD 2/Stage 2 is moderate, GOLD 3/Stage 3 is moderately severe and GOLD 4/Stage 4 refers to an extreme level of severity of COPD. The following provides a brief overview of the stages of COPD:

Stage 1: This is when the symptoms of COPD are mild. When diagnosed at this stage, the chances of treatment being effective is high and the progression of the disease can be greatly controlled.

Stage 2: This is where the obstruction of the airflow to the lungs is quite prominent and the symptoms cannot be disregarded.

Stage 3: This is when exhaustion from the acuteness of the symptoms sets in and everyday life can get affected.

Stage 4 (end-stage COPD): This is the most severe stage. The proper functioning of the heart is affected, blood oxygen levels become low, and the condition becomes life-threatening.

Spirometry is only one of the many tests used to assess the severity of COPD. The magnitude of the symptoms and the level of its intensity also play a role in determining the stage the COPD an affected individual is in. COPD is currently incurable, but diagnosing and categorizing the right stage can help doctors to identify triggers and avoid them, thereby reducing its progression considerably.