User:Jtravers/Sandbox
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[edit] Signs and symptoms
The most important symptom of COPD is usually shortness of breath (dyspnea). People with COPD commonly describe this as: “My breathing requires effort”, “I feel out of breath” or “I can not get enough air in”[1]. People with COPD typically first notice dyspnea during vigorous exercise when the demands on the lungs are greatest. Over the years, dyspnea tends to get gradually worse so that it can occur during milder, everyday acticvities such as housework. In the advanced stages of COPD, dyspnea can become so bad that it occurs during rest and is constantly present. Other sypmtoms of COPD are a persistent cough, sputum or mucus production, wheezing and tiredness[2][3]. People with advnced (very severe) COPD sometimes develop respiratory failure. When this happens, cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood, can occur. An excess of carbon dioxide in the blood can cause headcahes, drowsiness or twitching (asterixis). A complication of advanced COPD is cor pulmonale, a strain on the heart due to the extra work required by the heart to pump blood through the affected lungs.[4] Symptoms of cor pulmonale are peripheral edema, seen as swelling of the ankles, and dyspnea. There are a few medical signs of COPD that a healthcare worker may detect although they can be seen in other diseases. Some people have COPD and have none of these medical signs. Common signs are:
- tachypnea, a rapid breathing rate
- wheezing sounds or crackles in the lungs heard through a stethoscope
- breathing out taking a longer time than breathing in
- enlargement of the chest, particularly the front-to-back distance (hyperinflation)
- active use of muscles in the neck to help with breathing
- breathing through pursed lips
