COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a common respiratory condition.Treating COPD timely is essential to avoid any fatality. But many people are not even aware of the fact that they are suffering from this disease. This situation arises due to the person’s inability to recognize the disease symptoms. It is a common practice for people to mistake COPD symptoms as the signs of some less serious conditions. However, to ensure proper cure from the disease, it is necessary for one to be aware of its signs and symptoms.
Listed below are 15 common symptoms of COPD, which will help you to identify the disease in an easy manner:
1. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is one of the most common COPD symptoms that one should watch out for. If you have COPD, then you will experience this condition not only while engaging in exerting activities, but also while doing simple activities like walking or climbing the stairs. This condition is brought about by the lack of flexibility of the lungs, which in turn hinders the proper expulsion of air from it.
2. Severe Cough
People suffering from COPD, are also prone to suffer from the condition of severe cough. The coughing will be different from one which accompanies a common cold as it will be persistent and will last for long periods of time.
3. Chest pain
Due to shortness of breath and the subsequent difficulty involved in breathing, people with COPD are very much prone to experience chest pain. The condiiton can be aggravated by frequent coughing too.
4.. Lung Infections
Lung infections are another direct indication of the condition of COPD. The infections can be either bacterial or viral and you will have to get vaccination shots to tackle the condition.
5. Excessive production of phlegm
If you have COPD, then in all probability you will be coughing up excessive phlegm or mucus. This excessive production of mucus in the lungs can lead to the trapping of dust particles and can in turn create infections. The phlegm can be either clear or else it can be deep yellow or red and blood tinged. This variation in color of the phlegm can be directly correlated with the intensity of the lung infection.
6. Wheezing
The excessive mucus production in the lungs can lead to the narrowing of the airways. This in turn compels the air to force its way out of the lungs, thereby creating a whistling sound. This condition, which is known as wheezing is a definite sign that you may be suffering from COPD.
7. Chronic bronchitis
Excessive mucus production in the lungs can also lead to chronic bronchitis. This recurring condition is characterized by the inflammation of the bronchial lining, and is seen to last for months.
8. Fever
People suffering form COPD can also experience mild fever and chills. This is a secondary symptom and is usually seen to accompany the major symptoms like lung infections and chronic bronchitis.
9. Fatigue
It is common for people suffering from COPD to suffer from fatigue. This is caused due to the extra strain exerted by the body during breathing, and the person will tend to get even more fatigued, as the intensity of the lung infection is increased.
10. Formation of blue tinted skin
If you notice that your skin has developed a tint of blue, then immediately get checked up for the condition of COPD. The improper breathing patterns which hinders the proper flow of oxygen to the body tissues, is the main reason behind the change of skin color. This condition can be evidently noticed in people having light colored skin.
11.Swelling of feet
Improper blood flow in the body and poor oxygenation of body tissues can also cause fluid retention and swelling of feet. This can be considered as another common symptom of COPD.
12. Barrel chest
With the progression of the condition of COPD, the affected person will develop a barrel like chest. This swelling up of the chest is caused due to the inability of lungs to expel air properly, which in turn causes them to puff up.
13. Mood swings and memory loss
The other common symptoms which can be noticed during the later stages of COPD are mood swings and memory loss. The improper functioning of the lungs , which in turn affects the proper blood supply to the brain is considered to cause this condition.
14. Unexplained weight loss
It is common for people suffering from COPD to experience sudden and unexplained weight loss. How much ever they eat, these people will have a trouble in maintaining a healthy body weight. This can be caused due to the increased energy expenditure in breathing and the inability to move around due to extra fatigue.
15. No symptoms
As surprising as it may seem, many people who are diagnosed with COPD claim that they have never experienced any symptoms at all. But, no disease can occur all of a sudden without giving any hints and signs. A possible explanation for this claim is that they had failed to recognize the signs, which do not appear all of a sudden but occur in a creeping manner.
Therefore it is necessary to pay extra attention and to be extra cautious, in order to understand the symptoms of COPD and to treat the disease in time.
