Mild and Early Symptoms
Symptoms of COPD usually start of as mild. You might even mistake them for a cold. Some of these early symptoms include:
- Recurrent coughing
- Occasional shortness of breath, especially after exercise
- Frequent need to cough or clear your throat especially early in the morning
These symptoms would require you to have a change in lifestyle such as avoiding taking stairs, skipping physical activities, and avoiding certain foods.
Severe Symptoms
Your symptoms can get progressively worse and harder to ignore. Persistent COPD gradually damages the lungs, while showing symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath, after very little activity like walking up the stairs
- Chest tightness
- Chronic cough
- Wheezing, which is a higher-pitched noisy breathing
- Frequent fatigue and lack of energy
- Frequent colds
- Constant need to clear mucus from your lungs
In later stages COPD may include:
- Weight loss
- Swelling of the feet, ankles, or legs
- Fatigue
Certain factors can make symptoms worse such as smoking or regular exposure to secondhand smoke.