The harmful effects of tobacco consumption are not unknown. As more people have the addiction, the more there are cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a lung disease that restricts airflow and causes breathing problems.
While tobacco consumption is one of the causes of COPD, there are other factors triggering its symptoms. Living with COPD can be difficult, especially in the later stages. To ensure patients receive first-line treatment, a thorough diagnosis is essential.
Often, people confuse COPD with a minor cold and seek immediate relief. However, that doesn’t stop the condition from getting worse. As patients start living with the disease, it progresses to something extremely severe.
To manage COPD more effectively, it is essential to understand its stages. The initial line of treatment may not work for patients as their condition worsens. However, with better lifestyle choices, you can still delay the progression, if not reverse the condition.
In this blog, you will learn what the stages of COPD are. Additionally, it will inform you about the causes and symptoms of COPD, as well as ways to manage the disease.
What is COPD?
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, often referred to as COPD, is an irreversible type of lung damage. It blocks the airways, making it difficult for a person to breathe.
People with this disease feel a thick mucus in their airways. As mucus covers the walls of your lungs, it makes it difficult for you to breathe. And that causes respiratory issues.
With constant coughing, the airways become inflamed and narrowed. As a result, the air doesn’t escape from the lungs, and it makes a wheezing noise whenever you breathe.
Without any treatment, the disease can have detrimental effects on patients. But first, it is essential to understand the status of your condition. Determining the stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will help you identify the symptoms better, and the medical practitioner will come up with effective management methods.
Types of COPD
As you know, COPD can become worse with time, without early detection. It can damage the airways and increase mucus production in the bronchial tubes. Depending on its effects on airways and bronchial tubes, there are two types of COPD:
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema is a chronic lung condition in which the alveoli (air sacs or airways in the lungs) experience damage. It includes narrowing, stretching, and ultimately the collapse of the airways.
Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, involves the long-term inflammation of the tubes in the lungs. As the inflammation increases, it leads to more mucus production. Such a condition traps air in the passage, leading to whooping cough and frequent infections.
People with COPD often experience both emphysema and chronic bronchitis. The combination of both types of the disease can lead to other breathing problems, such as asthma.
Though it may seem that COPD and asthma are the same, they are not. They are both respiratory diseases. But there lie certain points of difference.
Asthma usually starts in early childhood, and with effective treatment, it can be reversed. However, COPD progresses with time once a pulmonologist or related medical practitioner diagnoses it. With lifestyle alterations and medications, you can delay the exacerbations of the condition. But reversing COPD is not usual.
Causes and Symptoms of COPD
Understanding the stages of COPD is vital to developing an effective treatment plan. But before the stages, knowing the causes of the disease becomes paramount. There can be several reasons for COPD to take place.
Mucus blocking the airways, lung damage, and inflammation of the airway lining are all causes of COPD. Moreover, the disease develops over time due to additional risk factors. These include:
- Occupational exposure to fumes, chemicals, and dust.
- Asthma in childhood.
- Complications in early life, such as severe respiratory infections, poor growth in utero, and prematurity.
- Tobacco consumption from active smoking or passive smoking.
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a rare genetic condition causing COPD in early life.
Knowing the causes of COPD will help people make lifestyle choices. For someone who is an active smoker, when they know the adverse effects, they can take measures. Also, it helps you better understand the symptoms.
Once the medical practitioner understands the stages of COPD and its symptoms, they can determine the management plan for the disease.
The most common symptoms of COPD are chronic cough (occasionally with phlegm), difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
Once a person is diagnosed with COPD, the symptoms can get worse. These are known as flare-ups that last for a few days and require additional medications.
As the condition worsens, the symptoms also change. These may include:
- Bluish skin.
- Heavy breathing.
- Gasping even while performing minor activities.
- Coughing with mucus for a prolonged time.
- Wheezing sounds or other lung noises.
What are the stages of COPD disease?
We know that COPD is a long-term respiratory condition. Persistent coughing and shortness of breath are noticeable in patients with COPD. Though tobacco consumption is the primary reason for COPD, exposure to second-hand smoke and industrial fumes also aggravates the condition.
These contributing factors have made COPD the third-leading cause of death in the U.S, according to the American Lung Association. With such a number, it becomes quite a challenging task for people to live with the disease.
However, early detection can help you slow down the progression of COPD. For that, it is essential to understand the stages of COPD.
Wondering how many stages of COPD there are? Well, typically it’s four: mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Let’s understand the stages of COPD and seek proper assessment from professionals.
Stage 1: Mild
The mild stage of COPD is somewhat very easy to miss. Usually, patients experience an ongoing cough with mucus and shortness of breath. Since these symptoms are mild, people may not even realize them as contributing factors to COPD.
These mild signs can also be damaging to the lungs. Hence, if any such symptoms are experienced, it is essential to consult a medical practitioner. Additionally, if you’re an active smoker, quit the habit to protect your lungs.
Stage 2: Moderate
It is more intense than stage 1. The breathing problems and coughing become more noticeable. Also, the airflow limitations progress in the moderate phase. Performing any physical activities also becomes difficult with moderate effects. Whenever you engage in any activity, your lungs make a wheezing sound.
Moderate COPD is the time when people become more aware of their symptoms and they seek treatment. The doctors may recommend a bronchodilator medication, along with breathing exercises, to delay the progression of the disease.
Stage 3: Severe
It is a sensitive stage of COPD disease. Patients with severe COPD can experience a decrease in lung function. The air sacks continue to weaken, resulting in reduced oxygen intake and increased carbon dioxide exhalation.
Flare-ups are common in the severe phase. Patients can experience sudden mucus plugging of the bronchial tubes and constriction of the airway muscles. It is at this stage that people are most likely to seek hospital admission if no immediate action is taken.
Stage 4: Very Severe
As the stage 3 COPD worsens, it reaches the very severe phase. Among all COPD stages, it is the most severe. Lung function significantly declines in patients, and breathing problems become more persistent. Whenever a patient coughs or breathes, the lungs make a crackling sound.
It happens because mucus accumulation in the airways disrupts blood flow through the arteries and lungs. And that leads to pulmonary hypertension. With a very severe condition, it is common for people to seek admission to the hospital. Intensive care helps with lung infections, breathing complications, and respiratory failure.
How to Diagnose COPD?
COPD is a progressive respiratory condition that qualifies for chronic care management. Knowing what the 4 stages of COPD are can help patients receive an accurate diagnosis. With every stage of COPD, the symptoms become more persistent. The symptom that starts as mild shortness of breath can progress to an acute breathing complication.
Based on the patient’s symptoms and health history, the healthcare provider will make a diagnosis. If the practitioner suspects you have COPD, they will ask for the following information:
- History of working with fumes, dust, or chemicals.
- Exposure to second-hand smoke and air pollution.
- History of respiratory infection in childhood.
- Someone with COPD or other chronic lung disease in the family.
- Past or current smoking history.
- Times when symptoms aggravate, including weather changes.
- History of flare-ups leading to hospitalizations.
- After learning about your medical history, the healthcare professional would run a few tests. These tests include:
Alpha 1-Testing: Doctors recommend the test for people with a family history of COPD. Regardless of age and ethnicity, the test helps check alpha-1 antitrypsin levels in the body. Low alpha-1 antitrypsin levels indicate the person has COPD.
Chest X-rays: Medical practitioners use chest X-rays to monitor changes in the lungs caused by COPD. It doesn’t directly detect the condition; rather, it analyzes the symptoms that cause the disease.
Spirometry is a common lung function test. Spirometry can detect COPD. The test uses a spirometer. When you blow into the device, it measures the speed and volume of air you exhale.
Ways to Manage COPD Disease
After a proper diagnosis, doctors recommend a treatment plan for COPD. Apart from lifestyle changes, essential medical steps like taking vaccinations for pneumonia and flu also help patients delay the consequences of the disease.
Indeed, the condition is not reversible, but with effective measures, one can increase life expectancy and make a healthy choice.
Lifestyle changes
Understanding the stages of COPD is crucial for developing an effective treatment plan. The recommendation that may work for stage 1 does not apply to patients in severe/very severe stages. Overall, the early detection of COPD can slow down the progression with lifestyle changes:
- Quit smoking.
- Eat healthy.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get vaccinations to reduce the risk of worsening COPD.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation.
All these changes are a part of the chronic disease management programs for COPD. Encouraging them to be a part of smoking cessation programs or educating them about the harmful effects smoking or pollution can have on the lungs can help them manage the symptoms better.
However, quitting the habit of smoking and adopting a healthy diet can bring a positive change for people experiencing mild and moderate symptoms. But for a patient at the severe or very severe stage, advanced treatment plans are necessary. These include:
- Oxygen therapy
Low oxygen levels in the blood will require supplemental oxygen. Using oxygen tanks, patients can receive the supply through masks or plastic tubes that fit over the nose. Whenever you experience a decrease in the oxygen levels, the tank and tubes will provide the necessary oxygen.
- Palliative care
Palliative care is effective for people at any stage. It focuses on managing symptoms such as fatigue and breathlessness associated with COPD. Engaging caregivers and planning such a treatment plan would ensure people find it easy to live with the disease.
- Medications
As COPD progresses, changing your diet or regular exercise may not be helpful. To support your well-being, the doctors may recommend medications. Medication is typically administered via inhalers and nebulizers, which patients inhale to make the condition more manageable. The medicines in these devices include bronchodilators (to ease breathing) and corticosteroids (to reduce inflammation during flare-ups).
- Surgery
When COPD progression reaches the final stage, respiratory failure ensues. To increase patients’ life expectancy, surgery becomes paramount. The common surgical options for COPD include lung transplant and lung volume reduction surgery.
Though surgeries may allow a more active lifestyle, they are associated with various risks. For instance, when it comes to a lung transplant, organ rejection could be the worst risk factor. It is therefore essential to consult with the doctor thoroughly before taking the crucial measures.
Slow Down COPD Progression with Effective Diagnosis and Treatment from One Health Medical Group
Living with COPD can be overwhelming, especially when you’re not sure about the treatment plan. To undergo effective treatment and care, patients and their families need to understand the symptoms.
Knowing what the stages of COPD are will provide details about the symptoms. Depending on the symptoms, doctors will run a diagnosis and implement different combinations of treatments and therapies.
At One Health Medical Group, we aim to deliver accurate diagnoses and effective treatment for COPD. At our Clinical Diagnostic Center, we include advanced technologies to provide proper screening for diseases. From X-ray tests to pulmonary function tests, we offer comprehensive diagnostic testing to assess your COPD stage and symptoms.
After conducting a thorough diagnosis, our expert doctors, Dr. Adam Atoot and Dr. Sharif Younis, develop effective treatment plans. The chronic disease management programs they offer combine lifestyle changes and medications to improve your quality of life.
Check out our chronic disease management programs to slow down COPD progression.
FAQs
What are the COPD stages and symptoms?
There are four stages of COPD, including mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. As the stage progresses, the symptoms worsen. Usually, what begins as mild shortness of breath can turn into severe difficulty breathing. Additional symptoms of COPD include frequent lung infections, persistent coughing, and wheezing when you breathe.
What’s the difference between COPD and asthma?
COPD and asthma are different in terms of onset, symptoms, and progression. While asthma begins in early childhood, people after 40 years of age often get COPD. Asthma symptoms include episodic wheezing, chest tightness, and breathlessness. But people with COPD experience persistent coughing and frequent chest infections.
What causes COPD?
The key cause of COPD is tobacco exposure. The harmful chemicals in tobacco can damage the inner linings of the lungs, leading to shortness of breath and a persistent cough. Other COPD causes include exposure to indoor and outdoor pollution, childhood respiratory infections, and pre-existing respiratory conditions, like asthma.
What is the life expectancy of COPD?
The life expectancy of patients with COPD varies depending on age, lifestyle, and, most importantly, stage. In the mild and moderate stages of COPD, life expectancy is much longer. As the stage progresses and becomes more severe, the life expectancy is 1 to 5 years.
How to manage the progression of COPD?
COPD is not a reversible condition, but with effective measures, you can manage it. Making some lifestyle changes, like quitting tobacco consumption and eating healthy, can delay the severity of the disease. Also, you can regularly consult with the medical practitioner who will help you create a healthcare plan. It may include breathing techniques, medication, and pulmonary rehabilitation.