If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it’s important to understand all the signs and symptoms it may cause. COPD develops and worsens slowly, often over years. If your symptoms change, it’s important to talk to your pulmonary care team to make sure your treatment plan is still working for you.

Symptoms of COPD may change depending on your type of COPD (emphysema or chronic bronchitis) and what stage of lung disease you have.

Here are 10 potential signs and symptoms of COPD.

1. Chronic Cough

A cough that doesn’t go away is a common symptom of COPD, specifically of chronic bronchitis. In chronic bronchitis, your airways become inflamed. This swelling makes them narrower, and they get irritated and make mucus, or phlegm. Coughing is your body’s effort to get rid of this mucus. The mucus you cough up might be white or clear, or it could look yellow or green.

If you suddenly start coughing more than usual, your cough might be a symptom of a COPD flare-up, or exacerbation. COPD exacerbation symptoms can be triggered by something — such as secondhand smoke or air pollution— and become worse for a time.

2. Shortness of Breath

Some people living with COPD also experience shortness of breath. This may be worse when you’re doing daily activities or exerting yourself, even in small ways. Shortness of breath is more common with emphysema than chronic bronchitis.

With emphysema, the alveoli (small sacs that hold air in your lungs) are damaged. You can end up with one large space for air in your lungs, instead of many smaller air sacs. This makes it harder for your body to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. It also makes it more difficult to exhale used air and inhale new air. The damage to the alveoli and complications from that can result in you feeling short of breath sometimes.

3. Wheezing

People living with COPD may hear wheezing when they breathe. Wheezing is a high-pitched, whistling sound due to narrow airways. People who experience wheezing may be more likely to have severe COPD symptoms, and their lungs may not work as well as those of people without this symptom. Thus, new wheezing may be a sign that COPD has progressed (gotten worse).

4. Frequent Respiratory Infections

When you live with COPD, you may have more frequent lung infections than other people do. This is because COPD can cause bacteria to get trapped inside your lungs. The bacteria can grow, causing infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, colds, or the flu.

Infections can cause COPD flare-ups and must be treated quickly and effectively to help your lungs work better. Ask your doctor which vaccines you should get to lower your risk of infections as much as possible. Since flare-ups can cause long-term lung damage, avoiding respiratory illness is a priority.

5. Tightness in the Chest

COPD may sometimes make you feel like your chest is tight or heavy. This can come along with wheezing or troubles with airflow. Feelings of chest tightness happen because the air in your lungs isn’t moving in and out the way it should.

If you experience new or worsening tightness in your chest with COPD, it may mean that the condition is progressing or that you’re experiencing a flare-up. Your doctor can help you find out more about what’s going on.

6. Trouble Breathing Deeply

Lung damage that leads to COPD can also make it hard to take a deep breath. When your airways are inflamed or your alveoli are damaged, it’s more difficult to get the air you need. You might try to take a deep breath, only to find that you can’t get the air that your body wants.

7. Fatigue

Fatigue, a feeling that your energy is gone or you’re very tired all the time, is one of the most common signs of COPD. Fatigue can happen with COPD because your body is working so hard to get the oxygen it needs that you don’t have any extra energy. Both the work that goes into breathing and not having enough oxygen can make you feel tired.

If fatigue is new or getting worse, reach out to your healthcare provider. You might have an infection, or you might be having a COPD flare.

8. Unintentional Weight Loss

Over time, people with COPD might lose weight without intending to. Like with fatigue, unintentional weight loss may be due to all the extra energy your body uses to try and get the oxygen it needs.

Since this kind of weight loss may mean that your COPD is getting worse, it’s important to reach out to your doctor. They can connect you with a dietitian who will help you get the calories and protein you need to keep your body as strong and as healthy as possible. They may be able to help you add high-calorie snacks to your diet to help you maintain a healthy weight.

9. Swollen Ankles

If your feet or your ankles start swelling or you have swelling there that gets worse, it may be connected to COPD. The swelling isn’t caused by COPD itself but by other health conditions that can develop as complications of COPD. Your doctor can help you get a proper diagnosis and treatment to manage these conditions and feel your best.

10. Bluish Lips or Fingernails

COPD may cause your skin, especially around your lips or your fingernails, to take on a bluish tinge. This is known as cyanosis and is often a sign of more advanced COPD. It means that you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood to keep your skin its normal color.

This color change in skin may be harder to see if you have darker skin. Cyanosis may be easier to spot if you look at your gums, lips, nail beds, and around your eyes. Sometimes, darker skin looks like it turns white or even gray, rather than blue. If you notice cyanosis, see a doctor right away.

Join the Conversation

On MyCOPDTeam, people share their experiences with COPD, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What signs and symptoms of COPD most affect your quality of life? Let others know in the comments below.