Introduction
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the most common respiratory disease in Germany. People with COPD suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This term describes a group of lung diseases that are all associated with an increasing narrowing of the small airways. COPD is favoured by inhaled noxious agents, such as cigarette smoking.
Symptoms of COPD
Those affected suffer from the two main symptoms: COPD is usually preceded by chronic bronchitis a long time before. During this time the affected persons have a persistent cough with sputum (= coughed up secretion). This sputum occurs mainly in the morning.
However, if the amount of sputum appears to be very large (“a handful”), other lung diseases must also be urgently clarified. In the further course of the disease, stress-dependent respiratory distress occurs, which then leads to the diagnosis of COPD, as this reflects the irreversible changes in the lungs. The increasing shortness of breath caused by the progressive changes in lung tissue leads to further effects on other organ systems in the course of the disease.
This becomes apparent in a reduction in physical performance. – Coughing (with sputum) and
- Exercise-related shortness of breath
Breathlessness is the typical symptom of COPD. In addition, there is often a chronic cough, which many sufferers do not initially perceive as a serious symptom of the disease.
In almost all affected persons, shortness of breath initially only occurs during physical exertion and is therefore often interpreted as a lack of fitness and poor training condition. However, when larger parts of the lungs are affected, people also suffer from shortness of breath at rest. Due to the obstruction (constriction) of the airways, they are not able to breathe out enough air again. As a result, a lot of oxygen-poor breathing air remains in the lungs and the body is no longer able to absorb sufficient oxygen.
What is the general course of COPD?
COPD usually begins insidiously and is usually only noticed after a certain time. At the beginning of the disease, only a chronic cough is initially noticeable, which is caused by the permanent irritation of the respiratory tract. Later, a sputum, which occurs mainly in the morning, is added to the cough.
Afterwards, there is a shortness of breath, which occurs particularly during physical exertion. How long it takes until the individual symptoms become noticeable, however, varies from person to person and depends on age, inhaled pollutants and many other physical factors. The longer COPD persists, the more severe the symptom of shortness of breath becomes.
At the beginning it is only noticeable during physical activity, but later it leads to permanent shortness of breath, which eventually has to be treated with oxygen. Due to the lack of oxygen, further symptoms occur: It can lead to a so-called cyanosis, a bluish colouring of the lips and the skin under the fingernails (comparable to blue lips when someone is cold). If COPD has existed for many years, the heart is also increasingly affected.
There is a weakness especially in the right half of the heart. In addition, the long-standing obstruction of the airways leads to an increased retention of inhaled air in the lungs. This is, so to speak, “pumped up” with air more and more. This condition is also called pulmonary emphysema.
