The most common symptoms of COPD are difficulty breathing, chronic cough (sometimes with phlegm) and feeling tired. COPD symptoms can get worse quickly. These are called flare-ups. These usually last for a few days and often require additional medicine.
Most people with COPD do not have any noticeable symptoms until they reach their late 40s or 50s.
People with COPD often experience fatigue. But, managing symptoms by working closely with a doctor or therapist can help improve energy levels. Making specific lifestyle changes, such as improving sleep, eating healthfully, and exercising, can also help combat COPD fatigue and improve quality of life.
Definition of mild COPD
The most common presenting symptom is dyspnea with exertion or chronic cough with or without sputum production. Other (but more infrequent) symptoms include chest pain, orthopnea and wheezing. However, there is also a group of patients with abnormal spirometry but are otherwise asymptomatic.
Some people can live with mild or moderate COPD for decades. Other people may be diagnosed with more advanced COPD and progress to very severe disease much faster. Some of this boils down to genetics. But some of it is due to how much you smoke or smoked and the level of lung irritants you are exposed to.
Stage 1: Mild COPD
"During mild stage COPD, you may feel out of breath during light physical activity, like doing housework or walking up the stairs," says Dr. Hatipoglu. "A hacking cough that produces mucus is also common," he adds.
Many people living with COPD often feel tired or lethargic as it takes more energy to breathe on their own. For loved ones, this can become especially challenging and disruptive to their daily routines, favorite hobbies, or quality time they spend with family and friends.
Sleep troubles are common in those who suffer from COPD. People who have a hard time breathing at night due to COPD may wake frequently and have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, View Source throughout the night. Overall reduced sleep time and sleep quality may also occur.
Cardiovascular or aerobic: Steady physical activity using large muscle groups. This type of exercise strengthens the heart and lungs, and improves the body's ability to use oxygen.
Beyond daily assistance, lung conditions such as COPD are very changeable. There are good days and bad days. Your loved one can suddenly become too tired and need to cancel plans at the last minute. "Cabin fever" is common for both the patient and family members.
Quitting smoking is the number one most important step, and the American Lung Association has proven-effective resources to help you quit for good. Regular exercise is also incredibly important and may include a formal pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Can you live 10 or 20 years with COPD? The exact length of time you can live with COPD depends on your age, health, and symptoms. Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis.
In general, COPD progresses gradually — symptoms first present as mild to moderate and slowly worsen over time. Often, patients live with mild COPD for several decades before the disease progresses to moderate or severe.
COPD isn't curable, but there are treatments to manage its symptoms as well as ways you can slow down its progression to help you live longer and better. Lifestyle changes can help you avoid exacerbations, which are periods where COPD symptoms can become much worse and may require a trip to the emergency room.
Freezing temperatures, stronger winds, and drier air conditions can make breathing more difficult, especially if you're living with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Over time, the changes can damage the retina and the optic nerve and cause issues with vision. Another study in the Clinical Respiratory Journal found that people with COPD had thinner retinal nerve fiber layers as compared to people without COPD.
In recent years, it has become more clear that COPD patients experience the morning as the worst period of the day [10.
A connection can be seen between the seriousness of symptoms in the morning, the physical activity and the severity of dyspnea during the day. Breathlessness impacts the daily life4 in practical, medical and psychosocial ways. The way to live with COPD is to hide it and battle with the disease.
When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), daily activities can be a challenge. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and increased mucus, may make it difficult to get things done like dressing, household chores, and other day-to-day tasks.
Living with COPD can be tough, and the physical challenges can sometimes affect your mood and emotional health.
Although COPD is terminal, people may not always die of the condition directly, or of oxygen deprivation. Some people with COPD have other medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease. In fact, within 5 years of diagnosis, COPD is also an independent risk factor for sudden cardiac death.
There are four distinct stages of COPD: mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Your physician will determine your stage based on results from a breathing test called a spirometry, which assesses lung function by measuring how much air you can breathe in and out and how quickly and easily you can exhale.