A chest X-ray is not a definitive test for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but it can help rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as pneumonia or lung cancer.
COPD is typically diagnosed through a combination of medical history, physical exam, lung function tests, and imaging tests such as a chest CT scan or pulmonary function tests (PFTs).
While a chest X-ray may not be able to confirm a COPD diagnosis on its own, it can show signs of advanced COPD, such as hyperinflation of the lungs or changes in the size and shape of the lungs. However, these changes can also be caused by other lung diseases, so further testing is usually necessary for a definitive diagnosis of COPD.
