1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : Calling your health care provider  (Trust Mark: Doctor-Reviewed)
Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if you have a rapid increase in shortness of breath.• Reviewer: Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.