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whAt CAUSES COPD SYMPtOMS tO APPEAR?
smoking is the leading cause of CoPD. the more a person smokes, the more likely that person will develop CoPD.
CoPD results predominantly from smoking tobacco, however other risk factors include one of these:
• Exposure to large amounts of secondhand smoke and pollution
• Frequent use of cooking fire without proper ventilation
• Air pollution
• Exposure to certain gases or fumes in the workplace
• Chest infections
• the presence of pre-existing airway hyper-responsiveness like Asthma
whAt ARE thE MAin SYMPtOMS OF COPD?
• Cough, with or without mucus
• Fatigue due to emphysema
• Purulent sputum
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Shortness of breath that gets worse with mild activity
• trouble catching one's breath
• wheezing
because the symptoms of CoPD develop slowly, some people may not know that they are sick.
ADvAnCED COPD SYMPtOMS
• Breathlessness
• Morning headaches
• weight loss
• Lung Cancer
DiAgnOSiS
• to diagnose COPD, a pulmonologist will take your medical history and conduct a
physical exam that includes special attention to your chest and lungs. A lung
function test can confirm COPD.
• Sometimes you need to have a blood test (arterial blood
gases) to measure the amounts of oxygen and carbon
dioxide in the blood.
