Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
When to Call a Doctor
Call your health professional immediately if you have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and you:
- Have shortness of breath or wheezing that is rapidly getting worse.
- Are coughing more deeply or more frequently, especially if you notice an increase in mucus (sputum) or a change in the color of the mucus you cough up.
- Cough up blood.
- Have increased swelling in your legs or abdomen.
- Have a high fever [over 100°F (37.78°C)].
- Feel severe chest pain.
- Develop flu-like symptoms.
- Notice that your medication is not working as well as it had been.
- Your symptoms are gradually getting worse and you have not seen a health professional recently.
If you have a rapid, sometimes sudden, and prolonged worsening of symptoms (cough, amount of mucus, and/or shortness of breath), you may be having a COPD exacerbation. Quick treatment for a COPD exacerbation may prevent serious breathing problems that might require hospitalization.
Call your health professional for an appointment if you have not been diagnosed with COPD but are experiencing relevant symptoms. A history of smoking (even in the past) greatly increases the likelihood that symptoms are due to COPD.
If you have been diagnosed with COPD, talk with your health professional at your next regular appointment about:
- Getting a yearly influenza (flu) shot.
- Getting a pneumococcal vaccine. Usually, people need only one dose of this vaccine. But doctors sometimes recommend a second dose for some people, especially if they have a long-term disease.
- Participating in an exercise program or pulmonary rehabilitation.
- Updating your medications or treatment routine.
- Getting help to stop smoking. To review tips on how to stop smoking, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your health professional observe your symptoms or condition without using medical treatment. If you have the symptoms of COPD but have not been diagnosed, see your health professional.
If you have been diagnosed with COPD, you and your health professional will determine how often to have checkups. An older adult who has a history of lung or heart disease should call his or her health professional if shortness of breath becomes worse or if it occurs with fever, discolored mucus, or chest pain.
If you have COPD and a cold, you can treat the cold at home with cough suppressants, aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol), lots of fluids, and rest. But you should call your health professional if a fever lasts longer than 2 to 3 days, breathlessness occurs or becomes noticeably worse, or a cough gets worse or lasts for longer than 7 to 10 days.
Who to See
Health professionals who can diagnose COPD and provide a basic treatment plan include:
You may need to see a specialist in lung disease (pulmonologist) if:
- Your diagnosis of COPD is uncertain or difficult to make because you have diseases with similar symptoms.
- You have unusual symptoms or signs that are not usually seen in people with COPD.
- You appear to have COPD but do not have a history of smoking cigarettes.
- You are younger than 50 and/or have no history or a short history of cigarette smoking.
- You have to go to the hospital repeatedly because of a sudden increase in shortness of breath (COPD exacerbation).
- You require long-term oxygen or corticosteroid therapy.
- You and your health professional are considering surgical treatment, such as lung transplantation or lung volume reduction surgery.
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| Author: | Lila Havens Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: June 16, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Ken Y. Yoneda, MD - Pulmonology | |
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