COPD Treatment & Assessment in Lahore
A clearer diagnosis. An inhaler plan you understand. Support for everyday breathing.
Breathlessness, a persistent cough or repeated chest flare-ups can make daily life difficult. At Australian Polyclinic, Dr G Sarwar Chaudhry assesses suspected and established COPD, with lung function testing and treatment review tailored to your needs.
Bring your inhalers, previous breathing tests and chest imaging. Appointments are confirmed by the clinic.
What is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a long-term condition in which airflow out of the lungs is persistently limited. It can involve damage to the air sacs (emphysema), airway inflammation and excess mucus associated with chronic bronchitis.
Symptoms may include increasing breathlessness, cough with or without phlegm, wheeze and reduced stamina. COPD cannot currently be cured, but treatment can improve symptoms, support activity and reduce flare-ups.
Smoking is a major risk factor. Workplace dust and fumes, indoor cooking smoke, air pollution and other factors can also contribute. People who have never smoked can develop COPD. [2]
When to book a review
- You become breathless walking, climbing stairs or doing usual activities.
- You have an ongoing cough, phlegm or recurring chest infections.
- You have been told you have COPD but have not had a reliable breathing test.
- Your inhalers are difficult to use or symptoms remain troublesome.
- You need review after a flare-up or hospital admission.
These symptoms have several possible causes. A consultation helps determine which investigations are appropriate.
Confirming the diagnosis comes first
Assessment combines your symptoms, smoking and exposure history, examination and quality-assured spirometry. Your doctor also considers conditions that can resemble or coexist with COPD. [3]
Post-bronchodilator spirometry measures airflow after an airway-opening medicine. GOLD uses a post-bronchodilator FEV₁/FVC ratio below 0.70 to establish persistent airflow obstruction in the appropriate clinical context. Borderline or inconsistent results may require repeat testing. A cough, smoking history or chest X-ray alone does not confirm COPD. [1]
Read our spirometry preparation, procedure and results guide . If breathlessness suggests a different process, such as lung scarring, assessment may include our ILD and pulmonary fibrosis service .
Where comprehensive PFT fits into COPD care
Spirometry is the starting point. A comprehensive pulmonary function test adds information about lung volumes and gas transfer when the clinical question requires it. This can help explain breathlessness that seems greater than basic spirometry would suggest.
Spirometry
Measures how much air you blow out and how quickly. Testing before and after a bronchodilator helps assess persistent airflow obstruction.
Explore spirometry →Lung volumes
Measures total lung capacity and the air remaining after breathing out. It helps identify air trapping and hyperinflation, and distinguish them from true restriction.
Explore lung-volume testing →DLCO
Assesses gas transfer from the air sacs into the bloodstream. A low result may support concern about emphysema or another condition, but is not a diagnosis by itself.
Explore DLCO, TLCO & KCO →The clinic’s PulmOne MiniBox provides cabin-free lung-volume measurement alongside other PFT components. Results are interpreted with symptoms, test quality, haemoglobin where relevant and imaging.
Not every patient needs every test at every visit. The consultation helps select the appropriate assessment.
Read the comprehensive PFT guideA treatment plan built around your daily life
Care considers symptoms, previous flare-ups, lung function, other health conditions and how easily you can use your inhaler. The aim is better symptom control and fewer exacerbations, with a plan you can follow. [1]
Inhalers and technique
Bronchodilators help open the airways. Device choice, technique and regular use matter. Inhaled steroids benefit selected patients; the decision considers factors such as flare-ups, blood eosinophils, coexisting asthma and risks including pneumonia. [1] [4]
Smoking and exposure support
A practical plan to stop smoking and reduce harmful smoke, dust and fume exposure is part of care. Discuss cessation support and suitable medicines with your doctor. Read our Lahore smog and lung health guide for advice on reducing air-pollution exposure. Avoid dismissing persistent symptoms as a “smoker’s cough”.
Activity and rehabilitation
Physical activity, nutrition and pulmonary rehabilitation can support exercise tolerance and confidence. Rehabilitation may require referral to an appropriate programme; availability and suitability are discussed individually. [4]
Monitoring beyond an inhaler prescription
Follow-up reviews breathlessness, daily activity, inhaler use and any urgent visits, steroid courses or hospital admissions. Repeat spirometry or additional testing is selected according to your progress.
A six-minute walk test may help assess exercise capacity and oxygen levels during activity. Imaging and other investigations are arranged when needed, rather than automatically for every patient.
Recognising a flare-up
A sustained increase in breathlessness, cough or sputum beyond your usual pattern needs prompt advice. Follow your prescribed action plan and contact your treating team. Antibiotics and steroid tablets are not needed for every change in symptoms.
Seek emergency care for severe breathlessness at rest, inability to speak normally, chest pain, blue lips, confusion or unusual drowsiness. Do not wait for an online appointment reply. [5]
Your COPD appointment at Australian Polyclinic
What to bring
- All inhalers and any spacer, so technique can be checked.
- Your medicine list and previous prescriptions.
- Earlier spirometry, PFT reports and chest images.
- Hospital discharge letters and details of recent flare-ups.
- Information about smoking, home and workplace exposures.
Ask for individual test-preparation instructions. Do not stop inhalers unless the clinic or referring doctor tells you to.
What the visit can cover
Review of the diagnosis, examination, selection of tests, explanation of available results and an individual treatment and follow-up plan.
Consultations and PFT are available at the clinic. CT scans, hospital care, formal rehabilitation and advanced interventions may require external referral.
New patients and patients with an existing diagnosis can enquire. Please confirm fees, test preparation and availability when booking.
Common questions about COPD care
Do I need a complete PFT to diagnose COPD?
Post-bronchodilator spirometry is central to confirming COPD. Lung volumes and DLCO provide additional information when needed, such as evaluating air trapping, suspected emphysema or unexplained breathlessness.
Can COPD occur in someone who has never smoked?
Yes. Long-term exposure to indoor smoke, dust, fumes and air pollution, and other factors including inherited conditions, can contribute. Your exposure and medical history remain important.
Is COPD the same as asthma or pulmonary fibrosis?
No. Symptoms can overlap, but the underlying conditions and treatment differ. COPD causes persistent airflow limitation; asthma commonly involves variable airflow limitation, while pulmonary fibrosis involves lung scarring. More than one condition can coexist.
Can COPD improve with treatment?
Although established COPD is not curable, appropriate treatment, stopping smoking, activity and rehabilitation can improve symptoms and daily function and reduce flare-ups. The response varies between individuals.
Does everyone with COPD need oxygen?
No. Oxygen treatment is based on measured oxygen levels and a clinical assessment. Feeling breathless alone does not establish a need for home oxygen.
Take the next step in your breathing care
Arrange a COPD consultation with Dr G Sarwar Chaudhry at Australian Polyclinic, First Floor, Building 19, CCA, DHA Phase 5, Lahore.
Call 0311 057 3333.
Clinic: Monday–Saturday, 2–9 pm.
Usual doctor consultations: 4–8 pm.
Please confirm availability.
Online enquiries are for routine bookings.
For more background, read our COPD symptoms, diagnosis and treatment guide , or explore our broader pulmonology service .
References and further reading
- GOLD 2026 Report and Pocket Guide — diagnosis, assessment and management of COPD.
- World Health Organization: COPD — symptoms, causes and prevention.
- NHLBI: COPD diagnosis — spirometry and additional investigations.
- NHLBI: COPD treatment and NICE NG115 — medicines, rehabilitation and oxygen assessment.
- NHLBI: Living with COPD — self-management and recognising worsening symptoms.
General patient information. Diagnosis, test selection and treatment require individual assessment.