COPD Symptoms

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At first, COPD may cause no symptoms or only mild symptoms. As the disease gets worse, symptoms usually become more serious. There may be times when symptoms suddenly worsen — known as a flare-up or an exacerbation — because of triggers such as something in the environment or an infection in the body.

Common symptoms of COPD include:

• Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity. You may feel like breathing takes more effort or that you are gasping for air.
• An ongoing cough or a cough that produces a lot of mucus, sometimes called a smoker’s cough. This is often the first symptom of COPD.
• Wheezing or a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe
• Chest tightness or heaviness may feel like it is hard to take a deep breath or it's painful to breathe.
• Fatigue reduces the oxygen supply your body receives.

Not everyone who has these symptoms has COPD. Likewise, not everyone with COPD has these symptoms. Some of the symptoms of COPD appear the same as the symptoms of other diseases and conditions. Your healthcare provider can determine whether you have COPD. You may also have additional conditions that need to be diagnosed and treated. It is very common for people with COPD to have other conditions, including heart diseases.

If your symptoms are mild, you may adjust your lifestyle to make breathing easier. For example, you may take the elevator instead of the stairs. For more severe symptoms, such as becoming short of breath during physical work, your healthcare provider can provide advanced treatments. Severe COPD can cause other symptoms, such as tiredness, lack of appetite, loss of weight and muscle, anxiety, and depression.

COPD weakens your lungs, making it harder for your body to fight off colds or protect itself from smoke or air pollution damage.

Certain triggers, such as smells, cold air, poor air quality, colds, the flu, or a lung infection, can lead to a sudden worsening of symptoms, called a flare-up or an exacerbation.

During a flare-up, you may have a much harder time catching your breath. You may also have chest tightness, more coughing, changes in the color or amount of your sputum (spit), and a fever.

Call your healthcare provider right away if your symptoms worsen suddenly. Your provider may prescribe antibiotics to treat an infection, along with other medicines, such as bronchodilators and inhaled or oral steroids, to help you breathe. Some severe symptoms may require treatment in a hospital.

How serious a flare-up is depends on the amount of lung damage you have. If you keep smoking, the damage will occur faster than if you stop smoking. Take steps to keep yourself healthy to help prevent a flare-up.

Don’t wait for your symptoms to become serious. As soon as you notice symptoms of COPD in yourself or a loved one, make an appointment to see a provider.

A flare-up may require treatment in a hospital. You — or, if you are unable, your family members or friends — should call 9-1-1 if you are experiencing unusual events:

• You are having a hard time catching your breath or talking.
• Your lips or fingernails have turned blue or gray, a sign of a low oxygen level in your blood.
• People around you notice that you are not mentally alert.
• Your heartbeat is very fast.
• The recommended treatment for your symptoms is not working.