What is average life expectancy after diagnosis of COPD?

I am 30y/o diagnosed with COPD? Should I consider getting tested for Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency?

• I am 30 years old. I have been having shortness of breath and difficulty with mild/moderate activity, since I had the bird flu a couple of winters ago. That flu did permanent damage to the lungs of everyone I know that caught it. Examples: Male 32 endurance athlete had a significant reduction in his athletic performance. Super morbidly obese women in her early 50’s now can barely walk across the house (she had already been short of breath considering her weight and other health problems, but I saw a definite decline in her breathing after it happened). Me I began to have more difficulty with activity than I ever had before, to the point that it began to interfere with my everyday life. I also have a history of heart palpitations, MVP, and vasovagal syncope. Also recently I have developed depression and an anxiety disorder (both generalized with panic attacks). The panic attacks came with the palpitations—I do not know which came first the chicken or the egg—the palpitations or anxiety, but what I do know is that they reacted off each other in a positive feedback cycle that caused me a lot of problems in my everyday life, and spiraled out of control when I began to have significant breathing problems. I am also a smoker. I have smoked since I was 16 years old (14 yrs total). I started as a half a pack smoker, then a pack a day smoker and every 3-5 years or so I would jump up by half a pack. I had recently jumped to 2 packs a day with the stress of my degree program and all the other anxieties in my life. I went in to the doctor who performed a lung function test, X-rays, and an ABG The lung function test came out to be at 70 or 80% of normal I forget which—I think it was 80, but I’m not sure—the point is the loss was there but minimal. My chest X-rays were normal. The ABG showed I had respiratory alkalosis. I had high levels of CO2 CO1 and bicarbonate, basically meaning I had chronic low grade carbon monoxide poisoning from smoking. The doctor told me that I had been running at 70% oxygen--no wonder I had been short of breath. Before they sent me to get the blood gas they said they were going to test me for emphysema and I did not react to that well—I was anxious and in denial. When I was told about the results all they told me I had at the time was respiratory alkalosis. I don’t think I would have listened or accepted the diagnosis of emphysema at the time, because I was just not ready to hear or accept it. That was a year ago. I was so anxious and depressed and having other issues in my life I had to take a leave of absence from my school and lost my insurance. I have since had 2 lung infections: one in August and one right now (it’s mid Feb). I have a chronic cough—the smokers cough where you just always cough up a little bit of phlegm here and there. So during this last appointment I asked my doctor flat out: “Do I have emphysema?” Her answer was I have COPD. I accept this diagnosis and I am seeking treatment to quit smoking—in fact I happened to have the beginning of the cold that eventually caused my latest lung infection when I had gone in for a prescription for wellbutrin to help me stop smoking. Sorry for the long story, but this is my question I am only 30 years old. I had a diagnosis of emphysema at 29—by 30 COPD. I am not a crazy super heavy smoker and I did not start exceptionally young. One of the first things I noticed in my research to learn more about COPD, is that people who have a diagnosis of COPD at such an early age commonly have Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency--whether they are smokers or not. Is that something I should be considering? Should I ask about being tested for this? I know without this protein--my lungs are less able to fight off infection, which makes them more susceptible to damage from viruses and the development of COPD, which could also explain why my symptoms suddenly began to be debilitating after I had a respiratory flu. I accept that I have COPD, but it is hard to swallow that I have this diagnosis at such a young age

• Answer:

  Yes, but do you realize your emphysema (COPD) will increase with every cigarette you smoke. SLOW down the progression by not smoking. It makes a big difference. My mother smoked for 40 years then was told she had emphysema, she stopped smoking and after 20 more years it didn't get much worse. She developed lung cancer at that time though, but was operated on and was cured. She is still living I'm sure due to the fact that she stopped smoking when diagnosed with COPD. But ask your doctor if you should have the test. If he says no, get another doctor until you get your yes answer. Why not try? If you have it then you can be treated with the intravenous infusions of alpha-1 antitrypsin. Copy and paste your question in again. It's interesting and you should get more answers.