COPD primarily affects the lungs, causing irreversible airflow obstruction, inflammation, and damage to the airways (bronchi) and tiny air sacs (alveoli), making breathing difficult. It's a progressive disease also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, where airways become narrowed, thickened, and clogged with mucus, leading to symptoms like chronic cough and shortness of breath. While the lungs are the main target, COPD can also have systemic effects on other organs, including the heart.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes permanent damage to the lungs and narrows the airways (bronchi). This makes breathing difficult once the disease has reached an advanced stage. At that point, even everyday activities such as climbing stairs, gardening, or taking a walk can leave you out of breath.
Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lung disease that's typically associated with symptoms such as shortness of breath, it can also raise your risk for skin problems that may cause bothersome itching or rashes.
Symptoms of COPD include:
With a flare-up, you have a harder time breathing. You may also have chest tightness or a fever. You may need to cough or clear your throat more.
Ongoing cough that may bring up a lot of mucus. The mucus may be clear, white, yellow or greenish. Chest tightness or heaviness. Lack of energy or feeling very tired.
NUCALA is an add-on, prescription maintenance treatment of eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults whose disease is not controlled. NUCALA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems.
It is no surprise that asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often mistaken for one another — they are both conditions that affect the lungs and make breathing more difficult.
Common COPD Triggers
For most people with COPD, short-acting bronchodilator inhalers are the first treatment used. Bronchodilators are medicines that make breathing easier by relaxing and widening your airways. There are 2 types of short-acting bronchodilator inhaler: beta-2 agonist inhalers – such as salbutamol and terbutaline.
Starting Your Day With COPD
A shower can be easier to navigate than a bath. Make sure air circulates in your bathroom to remove steam, which will ease your breathing. If shower spray on your face worsens your symptoms, lower the showerhead. Sit down to wash.
Studies show that people with COPD have a higher risk of gum disease, dry mouth and tooth decay (including tooth loss). The drugs used to treat this inflammatory lung disease can also cause dry mouth or oral thrush, a yeast infection in the mouth.
Sedating antihistamines such as promethazine are used as anxiolytics and hypnotic agents for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with and without asthma despite limited knowledge of its effects and side effects.
If you have COPD, you are more likely to have:
Your lungs are essential for life, providing the oxygen your body needs to function. Lung disease, or pulmonary disease, includes any condition that stops your lungs from working properly. It can make simple activities like breathing, walking, or talking feel exhausting.
In more severe COPD, edema can cause the ankles, legs, and feet to swell. The fluid retention can cause a weight gain of anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds, says Wise. This swelling is due to either pulmonary hypertension or right-sided heart failure.
Common symptoms of COPD include:
Researchers have found that for people with COPD, the ideal temperature is 70 degrees with a humidity level of 40%. Temperatures above 90°F (32°C) can be particularly dangerous for people with COPD. You can avoid COPD exacerbations by staying indoors with air conditioning during the hottest times of the day.
Why It's Harmful: Pet hair and dander can make your COPD worse by irritating your lungs. Tip: Keep pets out of your bedroom and vacuum often to pick up pet hair.
Spirometry measures the amount of air you blow out and how fast you blow it out. The results of the test can determine if you have COPD. COPD may develop slowly but as the disease progresses symptoms often get worse. Not everyone has the same COPD symptoms.
On June 26, 2024, the FDA approved Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine), a new small-molecule therapeutic, as a maintenance treatment for COPD in adults.
Cigarette smoke is a major COPD trigger; however, all types of smoke can make it hard to breathe. Other sources of smoke can come from secondhand smoke, wood-burning fireplaces and burning leaves. If you smoke, you should quit. If you do not smoke, but are around secondhand smoke, try to avoid or limit your exposure.
Advair is one of the most commonly used inhalers for the maintenance treatment of COPD. It is a combination of fluticasone, a corticosteroid, and salmeterol, a long-acting bronchodilator. Advair is used on a regular basis for the maintenance treatment of COPD and it is typically taken twice per day.
FDA approves GSK's Nucala in 2025
This made the drug only the second biologic approved for the lung disease, and the third new COPD therapy to gain approval in the U.S. in less than a year. Nucala is a monoclonal antibody that targets and binds to interleukin-5 (IL-5), a key messenger protein in type 2 inflammation.
These findings suggest metformin could become a valuable adjunctive therapy in COPD management, although further research is needed to confirm these benefits in non-diabetic COPD populations. Reference: Saylor J et al. Respiratory outcomes of metformin users in patients with COPD: a retrospective cohort study.