Chronic Cough and Shortness of Breath are Signs of COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease. Essentially, the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs are partly obstructed, making it difficult to get air in and out.
COPD develops slowly, and it may take years before you notice symptom of feeling a shortness of breath. The signs and symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include:
- chronic cough
- chest tightness
- exercise intolerance
- sputum (mucus) production
- short of breath, especially with exercise
- wheezing ~ a whistling/squeaky sound when you breathe
A cough that doesn’t go away or coughing up lots of mucus are common signs. These signs often occur years before the flow of air in and out of the lungs is reduced. The severity of the symptoms depends on how much of your lung has been destroyed.
There is no cure for COPD. The damage to your airways and lungs cannot be reversed, but there are things you can do to feel better and slow the damage.
COPD treatment focus is on:
- relieving your symptoms
- slowing disease progression
- improving your overall health
- increasing your ability to stay active
- preventing or treating complications and sudden onset of problems
Treatment for COPD is different for each person, as such it is important to work with your doctor to discover which medicines and pulmonary rehabilitation methods that help relieve your symptoms in an effort to breathe easier.
Most cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease develop after repeatedly breathing in fumes and other things that irritate and damage the lungs and airways. Cigarette smoking is the most common irritant cause. Breathing in other fumes and dusts over a long period of time are other causes.
The lungs and airways are highly sensitive to these irritants. They cause the airways to become inflamed and narrowed, destroying the elastic fibers that allow the lung to stretch and then return to its resting shape. This makes breathing more difficult.
Many years of exposure to poor environmental air may irritate your lungs and contribute to COPD. Some examples include:
- second hand smoke
- working in a dusty area
- heavy exposure to air pollution
- working around certain kinds of chemicals and breathing in the fumes
Don’t jump to the conclusion that you have COPD, there may be another cause of your cough and shortness of breath. As a healthy precaution stay away from lung irritants such as smoke, pollution, dust, and fumes.
Visit a doctor for diagnosis and treatment if you are experiencing a chronic (on going) cough and shortness of breath.
- Difficulty Breathing, Cough and Fever Cause by Pneumonia
- Dyspnea Cause for Breathlessness, Short of Breath or Out of Breath
- Cough, Shortness of Breath and Chest Tightness Cause by Bronchitis
- One Cause of Shortness of Breath or Feeling Out of Breath During Exercise
- Bronchiectasis Causes Chest Pain, Cough, Wheezing Symptoms for Lungs Airway Mucus Treatment
- Pulmonary Fibrosis Lung Disease Causes Dry Cough,Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea), Clubbing Symptoms
