5 Early Signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease that affects tens of millions of people in the United States: 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with it and millions more don’t yet know they have it. COPD is a major cause of adult disability and the nation’s sixth leading cause of death. 

While there’s no cure for COPD, timely diagnosis and treatment can help you feel better, stay active, and slow disease progression. If you’re a current or former smoker, or if you have other significant risk factors for COPD, being able to recognize its early signs is the first step in protecting your health. 

Read on as our expert team at Fivestar Pulmonary Associates discusses the ins and outs of COPD, including how it affects your lungs, major risk factors, and five signs that should prompt you to take our COPD assessment test or schedule an in-office evaluation today. 

COPD explained 

COPD is an umbrella medical term for a group of long-term lung diseases that inflame the airways and block airflow, making it harder to breathe. A COPD diagnosis usually means having one or both of the following: 

Chronic bronchitis

This lung disease affects the bronchial tubes that carry air to and from the air sacs in your lungs. It causes ongoing irritation and swelling that damages the tubes’ hair-like structures (cilia), making it harder to clear mucus from your airways. 

Emphysema

Emphysema damages or destroys your pulmonary air sacs (alveoli), which act to transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and then transport carbon dioxide waste back out. When your lungs’ alveoli are diminished, it’s much harder to take a full breath. 

Risk factors for COPD

Smoking — either cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or cigars — is the main cause of COPD. About three in four cases (75%) occur in people who have a history of smoking (former or current). Even so, one in four (25%) of those with COPD never smoked cigarettes. 

Other major risk factors for COPD include:

• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Having a history of asthma 
• Chronic exposure to air pollution 
• Exposure to dust or chemical fumes 

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood or adolescence can also slow lung development, increasing your risk of COPD later in adulthood. 

Early COPD signs

In its earliest stages, COPD may not cause symptoms, or it may only cause mild and sporadic symptoms that are easily misattributed to other possible causes, like allergies or illness. As symptoms become more obvious and consistent, you may experience:

1. A persistent cough 

An ongoing cough that produces a lot of mucus — frequently referred to as a smoker’s cough — is often the first sign of COPD. This symptom is associated with chronic bronchitis. 

2. Shortness of breath

Another early sign of COPD is new and persistent shortness of breath, especially during normal daily activities or mild physical exertion. This symptom is associated with emphysema.

3. Noisy breathing 

Noisy respiration — either in the form of wheezing, whistling, or a squeaking sound when you breathe — is another common occurrence with early COPD. 

4. Chest tightness

With early COPD, you may also experience chest tightness or heaviness that makes it feel like you can’t take a deep breath, or it’s painful to breathe fully.

5. Increased fatigue

Even with early COPD, your body tissues receive less oxygen as your lungs struggle to keep up with demand. As a result, you may fatigue easily or feel tired all the time. 

The path to wellness

Without treatment, COPD is likely to progress faster, cause more exacerbations (symptom flares that may require hospitalization), diminish your health, and undermine your well-being. 

But with chronic care management — which begins when you’re diagnosed with COPD — we can support your continued wellness and slow disease advancement. The first step? Knowing your COPD risk factors and investigating any concerning symptoms ASAP. 

If you have a chronic cough, shortness of breath, or any other symptoms that make you suspect you have COPD, we can help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at your nearest Fivestar Pulmonary Associates office in Allen, McKinney, or Plano, Texas, today.