COPD Specialist in Las Vegas, NV

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, usually shortened to COPD, describes a group of conditions that narrow the airways and make it harder to move air out of the lungs. Most people first notice it as shortness of breath that gradually crowds out activities they used to take for granted: walking through the grocery store, climbing one flight of stairs, gardening for an hour without resting. By the time it gets a name, it has usually been quietly progressing for years.

Our pulmonologists evaluate adults with suspected or confirmed COPD with a careful history, a focused physical exam, and pulmonary function testing performed at the clinic. Spirometry, the most common PFT, is what allows us to grade the severity of airflow obstruction objectively rather than guess from symptoms alone. Where appropriate, we add chest imaging, blood work, and additional testing to look for the conditions that often travel with COPD, including sleep apnea, cardiac disease, and anxiety related to breathlessness.

What treatment looks like

Treatment is more than a single inhaler. We choose the right combination of long-acting bronchodilators and, where appropriate, inhaled corticosteroids based on your symptoms, your exacerbation history, and objective testing. Many patients benefit from rescue inhaler instruction that is more thorough than what they originally received, supplemental oxygen when oxygen saturation is low, vaccinations to reduce exacerbation risk, and a referral to pulmonary rehabilitation when the program is right for them. We also routinely discuss tobacco cessation, with empathy and without lectures, because stopping smoking remains the single most powerful intervention.

For federal & energy workers

COPD related to occupational exposure may be covered under DOL/OWCP or DEEOIC. We perform PFT in office and document findings to program standards.

Convenient, coordinated follow-up

Routine follow-ups can be conducted by telehealth, which keeps people with limited mobility or those who depend on family members for transportation from missing appointments. When something changes, a cough that won't quit, sudden shortness of breath, a new ankle swelling, we want to see you in person promptly.