Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of COPD? Causes, Types & Risk Factors

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) may appear with mild symptoms and get worse over time, damaging the lungs. It may cause irritation and swelling inside the airways and limit airflow through the lungs. People living with COPD may face breathing difficulties or shortness, along with chest pain and wheezing.

Introduction

COPD is a condition that causes irreversible airway and lung damage, which restricts breathing. It has become the fourth leading cause of worldwide death, with approximately 3.5 million deaths reported in 2021.

This article covers symptoms of COPD, along with its causes, risk factors, treatment options, and tips to manage lung damage complications.

What are the types of COPD?

COPD damages the air sacs and airways in the lungs, which automatically reduces elasticity and causes breathing issues. There are mainly 2 types of COPD, explained below.  

1. Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi in the lungs that increases mucus production. People suffering from chronic bronchitis may experience several changes, including breathing problems like coughing, weakness, and infections.  

2. Emphysema

It occurs when alveoli, or air sacs in the lungs, become enlarged, overinflated, and damaged or collapsed. Emphysema impairs airflow and decreases the surface areas of gas transportation and exchange. It stops the lungs from releasing carbon dioxide and allows enough oxygen, which impacts respiratory functions and shortness of breath.  

What are the symptoms of COPD?

Symptoms of COPD usually develop slowly. It is often noticeable in people over 40 years of age. As COPD progresses, clinical signs and symptoms become more identifiable with breathing issues. The stage when COPD symptoms worsen is called an exacerbation.    

Early-Stage Symptoms

Mostly, people made a mistake in recognising COPD as a cold with mild symptoms. Early-stage lung disease symptoms are:

1. Occasional breathing issues, for instance, shortness of breath after exercise.
2. Mild Coughing
3. Tiredness

Worsening Symptoms of COPD

In this stage of getting progressively worse symptoms, the lungs become extremely damaged. Certain factors, such as cold air, smells, flu, and colds, can contribute more to the worsening of the lungs in this stage. Symptoms that suggest heading to the hospital may include:

1. Breathing shortness when doing daily activities
2. Difficulties with deep breathing
3. Chronic cough without or with mucus for a constant 3 months or longer, for a minimum of 2 years.
4. Chest tightness
5. Persistent wheezing, noisy breathing
6. Frequent chest infections

Symptoms Appear in the Last Stages

In later days of COPD progression, several symptoms can appear with worsening health issues, including:

1. Sudden weight loss
2. Fever
3. Changes in mucus thickness or colour
4. Having trouble breathing
5. Bluish lips or fingernails
6. Swelling in ankles, legs, and feet
7. Weakness or fatigue most of the time

When these worsening symptoms appear, the individual should book a doctor's appointment for proper treatment and professional evaluation.  

What are the Key Risk Factors Triggering COPD?

Determining COPD causes may help manage and prevent the chances of developing and growing this lung disease. It can occur at any age, but mainly people over 40 years are at risk for this decrease. The primary causes of this chronic airway obstruction are:  

1. Air Pollution

Air pollution increases the pathogenesis of COPD, also acting as a health-threatening factor for lung damage. An estimated 50% of the overall attributed risk factors of global COPD are related to air pollution. Furthermore, extreme weather changes, wildfires, and heat waves are threats to lung-damaged patients.   

2. Smoking

Smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD. Long-term tobacco exposure from cigarette smoking damages the alveoli and irritates the airways in the lungs, which stops the lungs from functioning properly. In 2023, the WHO reported that more than 70% of COPD cases are accounted for by smoking tobacco in high-income countries.    

3. Asthma

Childhood respiratory infections also contribute to COPD development in adulthood or older age. Unmanaged diseases such as asthma, lung infections, cystic fibrosis, and COPD cause damage to the lungs.     

4. Generic Factors

Genetics are related to lung damage; for example, a rare genetic disorder can cause COPD. Alpha-1-antitrypsin works as a substance that protects the lungs. People who have alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency are more vulnerable to suffering from COPD. If someone has this rare genetic disorder and smokes, they can suffer from COPD at a young age.  

5. Exposure to Chemical  

Exposure to harmful fumes, chemicals, burning fuels, and air pollutants can be a potential risk of developing COPD. Indoor air, including biomass fuel or coal, welding fumes, flour and grain dust, cadmium dust, and isocyanates, are risk factors for COPD. Moreover, people who work in mining, agriculture, cadmium, petroleum, textiles, welding, and the construction industry are at risk of getting COPD.  

How to Treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

COPD is not curable, but symptoms of COPD can be improved by treating and reducing its progression. Here are some COPD treatment options:

• Quit smoking, as it can slow down the growth of COPD.
• Inhaling medicines such as antibiotics, corticosteroids, and bronchodilators can help to open airways and reduce inflammation.  
• Patients with worsening symptoms of COPD need oxygen therapy, supplemental oxygen to improve oxygen level availability in the lungs.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation involves an educational programme, including proper disease awareness, exercise training, and dietary advice. This helps strengthen the immune system and lung condition and manage COPD progression.
• Surgery, a lung volume reduction technique, is the best treatment option for exacerbations. It is a valve process to reduce or eliminate the trapped air from the lungs.

If COPD is untreated, it can drive further health complications, including lung cancer, pneumonia, respiratory failure, and polycythaemia.  

What are the Important Tips for Improving Lung Disease Symptoms?   

Unlike other clinical conditions, COPD has several ways to prevent its development and progression. Lifestyle changes may improve worsening symptoms of COPD; these are:

• Permanently quit tobacco inhalation and second-hand smoking. If you're having trouble quitting smoking, you can join smoking cessation programmes.
• Avoid lung irritants, including dust, strong fragrances, and air pollution that may affect health conditions.
• Stay active; schedule a daily exercise routine to boost the immune system and support lung and heart functions.
• Eating a nutritious and healthy diet of foods to achieve a proper healthy balance and support the immune response.

Final Words

COPD is a progressive and chronic health condition that reportedly affects people globally. It is the primary reason for respiratory disease that restricts airflow and reduces oxygen levels in the lungs.

Excessive smoking, genetic disorder, respiratory infection, and exposure to lung irritants are the main risk factors for developing COPD. A persistent cough, wheezing, breathing difficulties, shortness of breath, chest tightness, frequent lung infections, and tiredness are symptoms of COPD.