Tiredness
Due to the obstruction in COPD, the air can only be exhaled from the lungs by increasing the work of breathing. This leads to increased air retention in the lungs. This air, however, is not as rich in oxygen as the freshly inhaled air.
Depending on the proportion of “old” air in the lungs, there may be a lack of oxygen in the body. At the beginning of the disease, this is mainly noticeable by a loss of performance during physical exertion. However, as the disease progresses, fatigue also occurs, which is also related to the lack of oxygen. In addition, the inflammatory processes that take place in the lungs also contribute to increased exertion of the body and thus also to increased fatigue.
Sweating
Sweating as a symptom is not the main focus of COPD. It is much more a case of shortness of breath and reduced performance, which can lead to increased sweating during physical exertion, for example. Nevertheless, many people suffer mainly from night sweats.
In particularly severe cases, sweating even makes it necessary to change bed linen at night. Particularly in the case of inflammatory lung diseases, sweating often occurs in combination with fever and shortness of breath. COPD does not refer to a disease in which an acute inflammation of the lungs occurs. However, COPD is chronically accompanied by inflammatory processes, which is why sweating can occur as a symptom.
Does a COPD cause pain?
Pain is usually not a typical symptom of COPD. On the contrary: Usually an inconspicuous cough occurs at first, which is later joined by a drop in performance with shortness of breath under stress. Pain is rarely expected and, if it does occur, is more likely to be caused by the complications of the disease.
For example, those affected are much more susceptible to colds and other inflammations of the respiratory tract. Bronchitis or pneumonia can therefore quickly become dangerous and cause pain at the peak of the disease. Heart involvement in later stages may also be associated with chest pain.
What are the symptoms of end-stage COPD?
A COPD in the final stage causes extreme breathlessness, which already occurs at rest. This is associated with a severe reduction in performance as well as significantly reduced physical resilience. In the late stages, the increased susceptibility to infection is also a major problem for those affected.
Due to an infection of the respiratory tract, COPD can worsen for a short time (decompensation) to such an extent that life-threatening conditions occur. The heart is also affected by end-stage COPD. The right half of the heart, which pumps blood into the pulmonary circulation, has to do considerably more pumping work because of COPD. This can lead to right heart failure (weakness of the right heart).