The Early Warning Signs of COPD You Need To Know—and How It Differs From Bronchitis
A pulmonologist at UCLA explains why catching the condition quickly is so important
When you think about diseases that affect the lungs, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there are likely some warning signs you already know, such as frequent wheezing and coughing. However, there are some more subtle symptoms that you may not associate with the illness. And when caught early, they could help you get treatment for the progressive lung disease that much faster.
Here, a pulmonologist explains some of the early signs of COPD that you need to know so you can get the help you need.
What is COPD?
Before we get into the symptoms, let’s talk about COPD itself. “By definition, COPD is a disease of the lung, most often due to smoking-related lung damage, that results in difficulty breathing air out,” explains Kathryn Melamed, MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician at UCLA Health. She adds that COPD is used as an umbrella term that encompasses other pulmonary illnesses, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Woman's World Answers
While there is currently no cure for COPD, there are effective ways to manage the condition and reduce damage to your lungs, noticeably improving your quality of life.
Early detection of COPD signs is crucial
Catching COPD early is key when it comes to diagnosing and treating the illness. “Early detection is important so that medications can be administered and any trigger can be eliminated,” says Dr. Melamed. “Smoking cessation is of utmost importance for preventing additional decline in lung function, and early diagnosis of COPD is often a catalyst to encourage patients to quit smoking.”
If COPD is suspected, it requires pulmonary function testing to be diagnosed. “This is a set of breathing maneuvers into a machine that measures all aspects of lung capacity and function,” Dr. Melamed says.
Why COPD can be difficult to diagnose
According to research in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, as many as 80 percent of people with COPD are undiagnosed—primarily because of how difficult it is to identify the disease. “Common COPD symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing and frequent respiratory infections requiring antibiotics and/or steroids, such as prednisone,” says Dr. Melamed.
But shortness of breath, especially, she says, can often go unnoticed or be attributed to something else, such as getting older or being out of shape.
Early warning signs of COPD you should never ignore
One of the key early signs of COPD to look for is the inability to catch your breath during daily activities, Dr. Melamed says. These could include:
- Walking quickly
- Walking uphill
- Grocery shopping
- Cleaning or tidying
“If you find yourself not able to catch your breath more than your peers, you should seek evaluation by a physician,” Dr. Melamed notes. Indeed, friends or relatives whom you see regularly and have the same general health or activity levels can serve as a good point of comparison. If you suddenly find yourself unable to walk as far as a neighbor you stroll with weekly, there is likely something going on.
In addition to difficulty catching your breath, there are some other common characteristics shared by people with undiagnosed COPD. According to a study in the journal Respiratory Care, 31 percent of people with undiagnosed COPD (but who did have some degree of confirmed lung obstruction) also have:
- High blood pressure
- Trouble sleeping
- Feelings of depression
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Fatigue on a regular basis
Is it COPD or bronchitis?
While COPD and a bout of bronchitis can have similar signs and symptoms—fatigue, chest pain and coughing—the key difference is often how long they last. With seasonal illnesses such as bronchitis, colds, COVID or the flu, symptoms typically come and go in a week or two. But with COPD, your symptoms will linger and, even if they improve a bit, never go away completely.
Another key differentiator: Acute illnesses like bronchitis can also trigger symptoms such as sore throat, stuffy nose or fever that you wouldn’t typically experience with COPD.
Watch for this important COPD risk factor
While it’s not a COPD sign, it’s good to know that there is a “rare but significant genetic cause of COPD, called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency,” says Dr. Melamed. If this has been tested for and confirmed in anyone in your family, you likely want to take steps to prevent potential lung injury, such as smoke exposure, and maybe get tested yourself.
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