What Are the Signs and Symptoms of COPD?

The signs and symptoms of COPD include:

 

These symptoms often occur years before the flow of air into and out of the lungs declines. However, not everyone who has these symptoms has COPD. Likewise, not everyone who has COPD has these symptoms.

 

Some of the symptoms of COPD are similar to the symptoms of other diseases and conditions. Your doctor can determine if you have COPD.

 

If you have COPD, you may have frequent colds or flu. If your COPD is severe, you may have swelling in your ankles, feet, or legs; a bluish color on your lips due to low levels of oxygen in your blood; and shortness of breath.

 

COPD symptoms usually slowly worsen over time. At first, if symptoms are mild, you may not notice them, or you may adjust your lifestyle to make breathing easier. For example, you may take the elevator instead of the stairs.

 

Over time, symptoms may become bad enough to see a doctor. For example, you may get short of breath during physical exertion.

 

How severe your symptoms are depends on how much lung damage you have. If you keep smoking, the damage will occur faster than if you stop smoking. In severe COPD, you may have other symptoms, such as weight loss and lower muscle endurance.

 

Some severe symptoms may require treatment in a hospital. You - with the help of family members or friends, if you're unable - should seek emergency care if:

 

How Is COPD Diagnosed?

Your doctor will diagnose COPD based on your signs and symptoms, your medical and family histories, and test results.

 

He or she may ask whether you smoke or have had contact with lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust. If you have an ongoing cough, your doctor may ask how long you've had it, how much you cough, and how much mucus comes up when you cough. He or she also may ask whether you have a family history of COPD.

 

Your doctor will examine you and use a stethoscope to listen for wheezing or other abnormal chest sounds.

 

You also may need one or more tests to diagnose COPD.

 

Lung Function Tests

Lung function tests measure how much air you can breathe in and out, how fast you can breathe air out, and how well your lungs can deliver oxygen to your blood.

 

The main test for COPD is spirometry. Other lung function tests, such as a lung diffusing capacity test, also may be used.

 

Spirometry

During this painless test, a technician will ask you to take a deep breath in and then blow as hard as you can into a tube connected to a small machine. The machine is called a spirometer.The machine measures how much air you breathe out. It also measures how fast you can blow air out.

 

Spirometry

 

The photo shows how spirometry is done. The patient takes a deep breath and then blows hard into a tube connected to a spirometer. The spirometer measures the amount of air exhaled and how fast it was blown out.

 

Your doctor may have you inhale medicine that helps open your airways and then blow into the tube again. He or she can then compare your test results before and after taking the medicine.

 

Spirometry can detect COPD long before its symptoms appear. Doctors also may use the results from this test to find out how severe your COPD is and to help set your treatment goals.

 

The test results also may help find out whether another condition, such as asthma or heart failure, is causing your symptoms.

 

Your doctor may recommend other tests. These tests include:

 

 

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."