The lung condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) results in inflammation of the lungs’ airways. The disease causes your lungs to have less capacity to breathe in and out, making it more challenging for your body to expel carbon dioxide. Some of the symptoms of COPD include persistent coughing, excessive mucus production, shortness of breath, exhaustion, and unexplained weight loss. If the ailment is not addressed in a timely manner, COPD has no known cure, and the patient will see their symptoms getting worse over time. If COPD symptoms are identified early enough, they may be managed.
Women are more likely than men to acquire the condition because their lungs are smaller and they are more susceptible to lung damage from cigarette smoke and other pollutants. The deterioration of lung disease may also be influenced by estrogen. The condition can be controlled, among other things, with the use of medicine, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation.
In order to properly treat COPD, it is crucial to recognize its early warning signs. The following are early indicators of COPD that should not be disregarded:
1. PERSISTANT COUGH: People who may have COPD experience inexplicable chronic coughing. They sneeze and cough nonstop all day. Cough that lasts longer than 4 to 8 weeks is typically an early sign of COPD.
2. GREEN OR YELLOR PHLEGM: The creation of a lot of phlegm, or mucous, is a second sign. The presence of an infection in the lungs is indicated by the color of the sputum, which should not be yellow or green.
3. SHORTNESS OF BREATH: Breathlessness is the third symptom. Again, these are early indications that your lungs are weakening if you start to feel fatigued after walking for a long time or climbing, or if you feel quite exhausted all day long.
4. UNEXPECTED WEIGHT LOSS: Unexpected weight loss is the fourth symptom. People frequently begin to lose weight as a result of their dyspnea, and when this is unintentional, these are the first indications of COPD.