COPD
Providers who help you manage COPD: see credentials, insurance, and contact details before you ever call.
Frequently asked
Can COPD be treated?
Yes; while COPD can't be cured, treatment slows it and improves daily life: quitting smoking, inhaled medicines, vaccines, pulmonary rehabilitation, and oxygen therapy when needed. A clinician builds the plan. This page is general education, not a treatment recommendation.
Which provider manages COPD?
Primary-care providers handle much ongoing COPD care, with pulmonologists involved for testing, complicated cases, and rehabilitation programs. Both provider types appear in this directory.
When is COPD an emergency?
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for severe trouble catching your breath or talking, a rapid increase in shortness of breath, a bluish color to the lips, fingers, or fingernails, sleepiness or confusion, or a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Short of that, call your provider promptly if breathing is getting harder, faster, or shallower, if you are leaning forward or using your rib muscles to breathe, if you are coughing up dark mucus, or if symptoms are worsening or you have a fever. Don't search a directory in an emergency.
Understanding COPD
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a group of lung diseases that make breathing progressively harder: airways lose elasticity, walls thicken and inflame, and mucus increases. The classic symptoms are ongoing cough with mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath (especially with activity), and chest tightness. Cigarette smoking causes most US cases; secondhand smoke, air pollution, chemical fumes, and workplace dusts also contribute.
COPD can't be cured, but it can be treated and slowed: quitting smoking is the single most important step, joined by inhaled medicines, vaccines, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy when needed, and surgery in selected cases.
Finding the right provider
Primary-care providers manage much COPD care and refer to pulmonologists for confirmation testing, complicated cases, and pulmonary rehabilitation. If quitting smoking is on your list, say so at any visit; providers have real tools to help. ProviderQuoHealth shows credentials, accepted insurance, and accepting-new-patients status on every profile.
Know the emergency line. Severe trouble catching your breath or talking means call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department, and so does a rapid increase in shortness of breath, a bluish color to the lips, fingers, or fingernails, becoming sleepy or confused, or a rapid or irregular heartbeat. Short of that, call your provider promptly if breathing is getting harder, faster, or shallower than usual, if you need to lean forward to breathe easily or are using the muscles around your ribs, if you are coughing up dark mucus, or if symptoms are worsening or you have a fever. Don't search a directory in an emergency.
Related guides
COPD on ProviderQuoHealth
Saurav Pokharel, MD
Saurav Pokharel, MD, is a pulmonologist based in Sanford, NC. He provides care for patients with respiratory conditions and related health concerns. Dr. Pokharel is committed to helping patients achieve better lung health and overall wellness.
FirstHealth Cardio Pulmonary Rehab — Pulmonology
FirstHealth Cardio Pulmonary Rehab specializes in pulmonology and serves patients in Sanford, NC. The practice focuses on respiratory health and related concerns for the community.
Dawn Marie Stanley, MD
Dawn Marie Stanley, MD, is a pulmonologist serving patients in Sanford, NC. She provides care focused on respiratory health and lung-related conditions. Dr. Stanley is available to discuss your pulmonary health needs.
Scott J. Johnson, MD
Scott J. Johnson, MD, is a pulmonologist serving the Pinehurst, NC area. He provides care for patients with respiratory conditions and related concerns.
FirstHealth Cardiology & Specialty Clinic-Pmc — Pulmonology
FirstHealth Cardiology & Specialty Clinic-PMC offers pulmonology services in Pinehurst, NC. The clinic provides care for patients with respiratory and lung health concerns.
Bradley Len Icard
Bradley Len Icard specializes in pulmonology and practices in Pinehurst, NC. He provides care focused on respiratory health and lung conditions.
Adam Richard Belanger, MD
Adam Richard Belanger, MD, is a pulmonologist based in Pinehurst, NC. He provides care for patients with respiratory and lung conditions. Dr. Belanger is available for consultations at his Pinehurst practice.
Cfv Pulmonary Medicine — Pulmonology
CFV Pulmonary Medicine provides pulmonology services in Fayetteville, NC. The practice focuses on respiratory health and lung-related conditions.
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center-Pulmonary Medicine and Lung Nodule Clinic — Pulmonology
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center's Pulmonary Medicine and Lung Nodule Clinic provides pulmonology services in Fayetteville, NC. The clinic specializes in comprehensive respiratory care for patients in the area.
Cape Fear Valley Pulmonary Medicine — Pulmonology
Cape Fear Valley Pulmonary Medicine provides pulmonology services in Fayetteville, NC. The practice focuses on respiratory health and related conditions.
Cape Fear Pulmonary Associates,P.A. — Pulmonology
Cape Fear Pulmonary Associates, P.A. provides pulmonology care in Fayetteville, NC. The practice specializes in treating respiratory and lung conditions for patients in the area.
Sonal Arora, MD
Sonal Arora, MD, is a pulmonologist practicing in Fayetteville, NC. Dr. Arora specializes in the diagnosis and management of respiratory conditions. Contact the office for more information about services.
Rahul Kumar Kakkar, MD
Rahul Kumar Kakkar, MD, is a pulmonologist practicing in Fayetteville, NC. He provides care in pulmonary and respiratory health.
Jayesh Bhalushanker Dave, MD
Jayesh Bhalushanker Dave, MD, is a pulmonologist serving patients in Fayetteville, NC. He specializes in respiratory and lung health conditions. Dr. Dave is available to help with your pulmonary care needs.
George Goodwin Childs, MD
George Goodwin Childs, MD, is a pulmonologist serving patients in Fayetteville, NC. He provides care for respiratory conditions and related health concerns.
Gautam Dev, MD
Gautam Dev, MD, is a pulmonologist serving patients in Fayetteville, NC. He specializes in respiratory health and pulmonary conditions. Dr. Dev is dedicated to providing comprehensive care to his patients.
David Christian Hostler, MD MPH FACPFCCP
David Christian Hostler, MD, MPH, is a pulmonologist serving patients in Fayetteville, NC. With credentials in internal medicine and public health, he provides comprehensive respiratory care. Dr. Hostler is available to address your pulmonary health needs.
Sources
- COPD (MedlinePlus; verbatim: "You should get emergency care if you have severe symptoms, such as trouble catching your breath or talking" and the call-your-provider line for worsening symptoms or fever)· reviewed 2026-01-24
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia; verbatim: "Go to the emergency room or call 911 ... if you have a rapid increase in shortness of breath")· reviewed 2025-04-10
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - adults - discharge (MedlinePlus; publisher last reviewed 2024-05-03, read in full by the author 2026-08-15; the call-your-provider warning list this page follows: breathing harder, faster or shallower, leaning forward, using the rib muscles, coughing up dark mucus)· reviewed 2024-05-03
- Breathing difficulties - first aid (MedlinePlus; publisher last reviewed 2025-01-08, read in full by the author 2026-08-15; call-911 signs, verbatim: "Bluish lips, fingers, and fingernails", "Sleepy or confused", "Rapid or irregular heartbeat")· reviewed 2025-01-08
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About our medical review process
The editorial health content on this page was reviewed by Myra A. Jones BSN, RN, CCM, a registered nurse, for medical accuracy and adherence to current clinical standards as of August 17, 2026. Provider listings are directory data from the public NPPES registry and provider submissions; they are not part of clinical review. ProviderQuoHealth’s health content is reviewed by licensed healthcare professionals before publication and re-checked when the content materially changes.
Important: Not Medical Advice
This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you have about a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay seeking it, because of something you have read on ProviderQuoHealth. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.