A progressive lung disease affecting about 16 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects many more who aren’t aware they have the condition. COPD is a leading cause of adult disability and is one of the country’s top 10 killers.
The team at Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven in Cheshire, Guilford, Hamden, Milford, North Haven, Meriden, Wallingford, West Haven, and Stratford, Connecticut specialize in spirometry, a diagnostic test used to detect COPD and other respiratory conditions.
There’s no cure for COPD, so prompt diagnosis and treatment can help you avoid future disability. We’ve prepared this guide to share five early signs that you may be at risk of developing COPD.
If you display one or more of these signs, it’s time to make an appointment for a medical evaluation promptly, before your condition gets worse.
An umbrella term for a group of chronic lung conditions that block airflow and make it harder to breathe, COPD includes conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. You can raise your risk of COPD by smoking in any form, whether cigarettes, cigars, or e-cigarettes. Even vaping is now identified as a potential COPD cause.
Other factors increasing your risk of COPD include:
Lung development may slow as a result of smoking and/or exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood or adolescence. This may lead to an increased risk of COPD later in life
There are rarely any symptoms in the earliest stages of COPD. As symptoms emerge, they may produce only mild or sporadic symptoms shared with other conditions, such as allergies or respiratory infections.
As COPD develops, symptoms may include:
Coughing that produces an excess of mucus is often the first sign of COPD. This symptom is associated with chronic bronchitis, and is commonly known as a smoker’s cough.
Shortness of breath during regular daily activities or mild physical exertion is often associated with emphysema.
Wheezing, whistling, or a squeaking sound while breathing is another common occurrence with early COPD. These sounds may be similar to those produced by asthma, a risk factor for COPD.
Chest tightness or heaviness, making it feel like you can’t take a full breath, is another common COPD early warning sign. It can advance to the point where it’s painful to breathe fully.
In the early stages of COPD, oxygen saturation begins to fall, meaning your body is undersupplied with oxygen since your lungs struggle to keep up with demand. You’ll notice this as fatigue or increasing losses of energy.
Contact Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven online or by phone when you have one or more of these COPD warning signs. Schedule your visit today.
