- COPD - Symptoms
- COPD can cause shortness of
breath, tiredness, production of mucus, and cough.
Many
people with COPD develop most, if not all, of these signs and symptoms.
Shortness of breath (or breathlessness) is a common symptom of COPD because
the obstruction in the breathing tubes makes it difficult to move air in and
out of your lungs. This produces a feeling of difficulty breathing.
Unfortunately, people try to avoid this feeling by becoming less and less
active. This plan may work at first, but in time it leads to a vicious cycle:
avoiding activities leads to getting out of shape or becoming deconditioned,
and this can result in even more shortness of breath with activity thus leading
to the person further avoiding activity.
Tiredness (or
fatigue) is a common symptom in COPD. Tiredness discourages a person from
keeping active, which leads to greater loss of energy, which then leads to more
tiredness. When this cycle begins it is sometimes hard to break.
Wheezing (a
whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe).
Chest tightness
- Reference:
ATS
PATIENT INFORMATION SERIES & PATIENT HEALTH SERIES
http://patients.thoracic.org/information-series/en/resources/signs-and-symptoms-of-copd.pdf
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