In many people, the earliest symptom of COPD is a cough that won’t go away. The cough is often accompanied by sputum (phlegm) production. The most characteristic symptom of the disease is shortness of breath when you exert yourself, such as when walking quickly or climbing stairs. As the disease progresses, this shortness of breath becomes more severe, and you may have trouble walking even a short distance or performing everyday activities such as showering and dressing.

The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, an increased effort to breathe, heaviness or a ‘need for air’, excessive mucus, and a chronic cough. Some people feel they are gasping for breath. These symptoms will get worse when exercising, when you have a respiratory infection or during a flare-up – periods of time when there is a sudden increase in symptoms and the disease is worse.

Not everyone has all of these symptoms, and some people have different combinations of symptoms to other people. If you are over 40 and have any COPD symptoms, ask your doctor for a breathing test (spirometry) to see if you have COPD.

Common Symptoms

• Feeling short of breath
• A barrel-shaped chest
• Wheezing
• Frequent, long-lasting lung infections (the flu, pneumonia, etc.)
• Feeling tired (fatigue)
• Losing weight without trying