How can you know that COPD is getting serious?

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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to a condition that makes it difficult for you to inhale. If you have this problem, you must be coughing frequently and finding it hard to breathe. COPD causes include smoking, occupational exposure to dust and chemicals, and inhaling fumes from fuel. Individuals who have COPD can be suffering from early, moderate, severe, or extreme stages. While treating COPD toward the early phases is simple, it can be inconvenient to control it at the later stages. Along these lines, it is essential to prevent it from intensifying. To do that, you should initially figure out how to recognize when your COPD is worsening. Here is the thing that you should know!

What shows worsening COPD?

  1. Difficulty in breathing

Worsening shortness of breath is a negative sign for people who have COPD. So, if you are experiencing shortness of breath while doing simple tasks like climbing steps or walking to a nearby shop, it indicates that your condition is not improving. In such a case, you should visit your doctor. If your situation is not good, he will propose a few medicines. 

  1. Increased phlegm

If the COPD condition is terrible, you will produce more phlegm. Likewise, you will also notice a change in its colour from yellow to green. It is a sign that you have an infection in your lungs.

  1. Wheezing

Wheezing is a sharp whistling sound that is delivered as you relax. It is caused due to the restriction of the airway. All patients with COPD don't go through wheezing. As indicated by a study carried out in 2015 in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, just 38% of individuals with COPD experience wheezing. It is connected with deteriorating COPD conditions and lung disease.

  1. Muscle weakness

Numerous patients who have COPD grumble about feeling weak constantly. It is so because of the fact that it is hard to inhale for people suffering from this condition. Simple tasks like breathing in and breathing out require more effort. Likewise, weariness in COPD patients can result from inflammation. It can cause muscle weakness.

  1. Cough

If you have COPD and your cough is getting worse, it is a bad sign. In such a case, you should visit your doctor and get an X-ray. The results will help you conclude whether your COPD is deteriorating or the cough is resulting from another ailment.

  1. Groggy

Patients who have severe COPD have extreme difficulty in inhaling around evening time. Furthermore, low oxygen levels can cause weakness or lead to tiredness during the day. 

In this way, COPD is an illness of the lungs that makes it difficult for you to relax. You must be on the lookout for the signs to know if your condition is worsening.

 

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