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7. Know the Signs
Be aware of the early signs of a COPD flare-up and call your doctor if you have one or more of the following symptoms, as you may need to go to the hospital for urgent treatment:
- Increased shortness of breath or feeling breathless when at rest or with little physical activity.
- Wheezing or rattling sounds. These may reflect an obstruction of the airways caused by excessive mucus, pus, inflammation or accumulation of fluid in the lungs
- Irregular breathing or the need to use more the chest muscles to breathe, rather than using the diaphragm.
- Worsening of your cough. This could mean becoming more frequent or more severe, or if you notice a change in the color of the phlegm (i.e. green or bloody phlegm).
- Changes in the color of your skin (i.e. more bluish or gray) or nails (more blue or purple) can also be signs of an exacerbation.
- Trouble sleeping or eating because your symptoms are interfering with your ability to eat or lie down and sleep.
- Difficulty talking because your breathing problems are too severe. In this case you should use hand gestures to communicate to a family member that are not feeling well.
- Feeling more stressed and anxious may occur because of the inability to breathe is suddenly worse.
- Developing of new symptoms like swelling of the ankles, abdominal pain or early morning headaches. Swollen ankles can be a sign of heart and lung damage while - headaches that occur early in the morning can be a sign of COPD flare-up because they may be due to low oxygen levels and build up of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Read more about COPD exacerbations and pulmonary rehab for COPD patients over at NewLifeOutlook.
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When symptoms flare up it can be difficult to breathe. In such instances it may be helpful to use BiPAP for COPD, a machine that assists with breathing.
