Question:The symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Comment from: Susan1125, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: January 07
I am 56 now. I was diagnosed with COPD in March of 2007. I had been a heavy smoker, got a cold I couldn't get rid of, ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator. I should have known it was coming, but like most smokers, thought it would never happen to me. I don't smoke now and never will again, but, I still want to. My life has changed drastically. I had to stop working, sold my home (couldn't afford it without a salary), and cashed in my retirement to be able to move closer to family and support. I have very little energy most days; I try to use what I do have wisely. I rest/sleep a lot. I carry tremendous guilt because I "did this to myself" and I try hard not to be a burden to my family. I was someone who rarely took even an aspirin, now medications are a huge part of my life. I finally have Medicare, but it doesn't cover prescriptions, and they are so expensive. There may soon come a time when I have to pick the most important ones and let the rest go. I use oxygen at night. I try to count my blessings, fully appreciate what I do have, and remain positive, but I'm not always successful with that.
Comment from: Carol, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: January 07
I grew up with asthma; I suffered sinus and respiratory infections my entire life. I started smoking at 15. When I was in my early 40s, my asthma was becoming increasingly worse. I was diagnosed with COPD at age 47. I am now 55. I quit smoking four years ago. The disease does not improve. My "good days" are far and few these days. My dad and his dad died from this. My older sister was just diagnosed three years ago. My son was diagnosed with beginning stages at age 25. (He doesn't smoke.) My sister's daughter was just diagnosed at 33 (smoker). It's a hard disease that seems to start out like bad asthma and progresses into chronic lung infections.
Comment from: dkwilliams2, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: October 15
I have COPD. It's been 2 years now. I quit smoking which I smoked for 41 years. The gentleman who stated he was not able to stop, please try CHANTIX. I never would have thought I would quit, but this pill is great. The hardest part was the habit not the addiction. So start planning the replacement. Such as, I needed to smoke when I first got up and had several cigarettes with 2-3 cups of coffee. I changed my patterns to make it easier. Both my parents smoked and my mother died from a heart attack with the notation by the coroners that was triggered by her smoking. She died more than 20 years ago before COPD. My dad just passed away with the same but COPD named. He suffered so badly because he would not give up smoking. This is an eye opener and I quit that October. Almost a year ago. I still have difficulties and wondered if this would qualify for SSI? Any one know ?
Comment from: Jillybean, 35-44 Female (Patient)Published: October 15
I am 39yo and started suffering from bronchitis only 2 years ago each winter. I had been a smoker from 17yo at about 25 per day. This year I had a major respiratory attack at the beginning of suffering a 3 month bout of Chronic Bronchitis and spent 6 days in hospital. I was diagnosed with COPD and was shocked. Luckily I had stopped smoking a week before ending up in hospital, only because I couldn't smoke (it hurt too much and made it even harder to breathe) It has now been 3 months since I had a cigarette and I never want one again. I am currently going thru a bout of pneumonia as an after effect of the bronchitis, and am still struggling to breath at times.
Comment from: Sheryl, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: September 17
Well it was a bit of a shock for me even though I smoked, my symptoms weren't particularly severe and still aren't but I had been sick with bronchitis for three months, but it was the pain in my left side that made me ask to get a chest x ray, I was then told it was COPD, huh? I have nearly quit, only been 4 days and down from 20 a day to 4. I think it was caught early and I expect to feel better soon, it's just getting through this bronchitis stage that's hard and confusing and I will expect to get sick each year now. I did notice I was breathless on steep inclines, but then I was 16 years ago so smoking did that, but my only symptoms at the time of my diagnosis was that I couldn't bring up any mucus and I had a pain in my left side, that was all.
When I couldn't walk up a steep incline without stopping to catch my breath I knew I had a serious problem and being a heavy smoker made it even worse. Within an hour of seeing a physician I was given the devastating news that I have COP. This was 3 years ago and to this day I still haven't been able to quit smoking. Kids, listen to me, if you have never smoked then don't start, if you smoke throw them away before its too late.
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Suggested Reading on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Our Doctors
Pneumonia is inflammation of one or both lungs with consolidation. Pneumonia is frequently but not always due to infection. The infection may be bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic. Symptoms may include fever, chills, cough with sputum production, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other form of cancer. Eight out of 10 lung cancers are due
to tobacco smoke. Lung cancers are classified as either small cell or non-small
cell cancers.
Bronchitis is a disease of the respiratory system in which the bronchial passages become inflamed. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Symptoms of acute bronchitis include frequent cough with mucus, lack of energy, wheezing, and possible fever. Treatment may require medication such as bronchial inhalers and predinsone. Supportive treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms with fever reducers, cough suppressants, and rest. Treatment may be more aggressive in patients with pre-existing conditions such as empyema, COPD, or cigarette smoking.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are premature heartbeats originating from the ventricles of the heart. PVCs are premature because they occur before the regular heartbeat. There are many causes of premature ventricular contractions to include: heart attack, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, hypokalemia, hypoxia, medications, excess caffeine, drug abuse, and myocarditis.
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cough and wheezing.
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Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of the pressure in the pulmonary circulation caused by the constriction of the blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs. Shortness of breath and dizziness are symptoms of pulmonary hypertension. Treatment involves diuretics, blood thinners, calcium channel blockers, and using supplemental oxygen to increase blood oxygen levels.
Interstitial lung disease, is a term to describe a certain lung condition. Causes of interstitial lung disease include lung infection, exposure to toxins in the environment (asbestos for example), medications (chemotherapy), radiation therapy, and chronic autoimmune disorders. Common symptoms of interstitial lung disease include a dry cough and shortness of breath. Diagnosis and treatment depend upon the cause of the condition.
Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, inhaled irritants, and underlying disease processes (such as asthma, or congestive heart failure). Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Treatments include bronchodilators and steroids. Complications of chronic bronchitis include COPD and emphysema.
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Bronchiectasis is a condition in which the bronchial tubes of the lung become damaged. Inflammation from infection or other causes destroys the smooth muscles of the bronchial tubes. Bronchiectasis is a form of COPD (which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis). There are three primary types of bronchiectasis: 1) cylindrical bronchiectasis; 2) saccular bronchiectasis; and 3) cystic bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis may also be acquired or congenital. The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis are recurrent cough and sputum production. There is no cure for bronchiectasis. Treatment is often geared toward controlling the symptoms of bronchiectasis.
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There are many unusual symptoms of asthma, including sighing, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, chronic cough, recurrent walking pneumonia, and rapid breathing. These symptoms may vary from individual to individual. These asthma complexities make it difficult to accurately diagnose and treat asthma.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that may cause liver and lung disease in adults. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, weight loss, respiratory infections, fatigue, vision abnormalities. Advanced lung disease from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency include emphysema. Liver damage from alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency causes a swollen abdomen, swollen legs or feet, and jaundice.
Nicotine is delivered to the brain through smoking, chewing, or sniffing tobacco. Nicotine is an addictive agent. Common names for nicotine products include smokes, cigs, butts, chew, dip, spit, or snuff. Habitual nicotine use leads to many debilitating medical conditions.
The lungs are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood. Eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood is important, because as it builds up in the blood, headaches, drowsiness, coma, and eventually death may occur. The air we breathe in (inhalation) is warmed, humidified, and cleaned by the nose and the lungs.
If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia. Avoiding cigarette smoking, practice good hygeine, stay away from crowds, and alerting your healthcare provider if you have a sinus infection or cold or cough that becomes worse. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the emphysema, bronchitis, or cold combination.
Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, SIDS, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Learn how you can protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke exposure in the home environment and workplace.
Fatigue (either physical, mental or both) is a symptom that may be
difficult for the patient to describe and words like lethargic, exhausted and
tired may be used.
Taking a careful and complete history is the key to help making the
underlying diagnosis of the cause for the symptom of fatigue, However, in about
a third of patients the cause is not found and the diagnosis is not known.
There are numerous causes of fatigue symptoms. Examples of some treatable causes of
fatigue include anemia, diabetes,
thyroid disease, heart disease, COPD and sleep
disorders (Table).
Long lasting complaints of fatigue does not equate to chronic fatigue
syndrome. Specific criteria as set by the CDC need to be met to make that
particular diagnosis.
Fatigue introduction
Fatigue can be described as the lack of energy and motivation (both physical
and mental). This is different th...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
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I am 56 now. I was diagnosed with COPD in March of 2007. I had been a heavy smoker, got a cold I couldn't get rid of, ended up in the hospital, on a ventilator. I should have known it was coming, but like most smokers, thought it would never happen to me. I don't smoke now and never will again, but, I still want to. My life has changed drastically. I had to stop working, sold my home (couldn't afford it without a salary), and cashed in my retirement to be able to move closer to family and support. I have very little energy most days; I try to use what I do have wisely. I rest/sleep a lot. I carry tremendous guilt because I "did this to myself" and I try hard not to be a burden to my family. I was someone who rarely took even an aspirin, now medications are a huge part of my life. I finally have Medicare, but it doesn't cover prescriptions, and they are so expensive. There may soon come a time when I have to pick the most important ones and let the rest go. I use oxygen at night. I try to count my blessings, fully appreciate what I do have, and remain positive, but I'm not always successful with that.
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