COPD Symptoms & Prognosis

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD Symptoms Info)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is a non-specific term for a progressive disease that makes breathing difficult.  The cause of COPD can be many things, all of which share one characteristic - which is that they get worse as time passes.  That’s the meaning of the term “progressive�? when applied to a medical affliction.

Cigarette smoking can be the cause of COPD; according to the National Institutes of Health most people who have COPD smoke or used to smoke.  In fact, the Institute goes so far as to day that almost every victim of this lung disease either smokes, or did at one time.  While the term COPD refers generally to a respiratory disorder, there are two specific diseases that are most often associated with it.  Those are emphysema and chronic bronchitis, both of which will worsen the patient’s ability to capture oxygen as the lungs degenerate.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a COPD diagnosis in the United States assumes the presence of emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis.  Most people with COPD are afflicted with both of these pulmonary disorders.

COPD Symptoms

The pulmonary symptoms of COPD are simple and straightforward.  They are not dissimilar from those of a common chest cold, except they are not caused by a virus and are not the result of a disease that can be cured.

• The primary symptom is shortness of breath.  The chest feels tight and any level of exertion will leave the COPD patient out of breath.

• Wheezing is common with COPD: the whistling or squeaking sound lungs make when they are congested.

• Tightness in the chest: it feels as if the lungs have shrunk and the patient is unable to take a deep breath.

• A persistent cough that does not come and go as a cough related to a chest cold would.  The cough usually produces significant amounts of mucus; this lung disorder usually signals the presence of bronchitis.

Other Respiratory Disorders

Some of these pulmonary symptoms are common to other diseases.  People with asthma will recognize most of them.  Respiratory disorders are a regular household occurrence; everyone encounters one occasionally in the form of short-lived afflictions such as:

• Common Cold
• Influenza
• Sinusitis
• Tonsillitis
• Asthma

There are other, more serious diseases that are also lung disorders. These include:

• Acute bronchitis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Lung Cancer
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Tuberculosis

Occupational Lung Diseases

This category of illnesses includes afflictions that create similar symptoms due to toxins other than cigarette smoke.  They are caused by exposure to hazardous inhalants in the workplace or on remote jobsites.   Coal miners are not the only ones at risk for occupational lung diseases; they are only the best known example.  Employees working in a car garage, a textile factory, steel or paper mills or a power plant are often exposed to asbestos, which can lead to asbestosis or mesothelioma cancer. 

Asbestos can also be found in a wide variety of locations along with other hazardous chemicals, dusts, and fibers that may lead to a lifetime of pulmonary symptoms if not properly diagnosed and treated. Exposure to asbestos fibers or other airborne toxins can trigger COPD, especially when combined with cigarette smoking.   According to the American Lung Association:

• Occupational lung disorders are the number one cause of work-related illness.

• Most occupational lung diseases are caused by repeated, long-term exposure, but even a severe, single exposure to a hazardous agent can damage the lungs.

• Occupational pulmonary disorders are preventable.

• Smoking can increase both the severity of an occupational lung disease and the risk of lung cancer.

A Common and Often Hidden Respiratory Disorder

While COPD may be a relatively new term to many people, the respiratory disorders that are included in COPD are not.  COPD is a widespread affliction in this country, impacting a large number of Americans – especially older Americans.

• COPD is a major cause of disability - the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. More than 12 million people are currently diagnosed with COPD. An additional 12 million probably have the disease and don't even know it.

• COPD develops slowly. Pulmonary symptoms usually worsen over time and gradually will limit the ability to do routine activities. Severe COPD may prevent a patient from doing even basic activities like walking, cooking, or other basic daily chores.

• Most of the time, COPD is diagnosed in middle-aged or older people. It is self-induced, in the sense that the disease isn't passed from person to person.  It is brought on by smoking and by exposure to airborne toxins.

• COPD has no cure yet, and doctors don't know how to reverse the damage to the airways and lungs.

If your physician detects COPD and you've had past exposure with asbestos, an attorney with expertise in the field can obtain fiscal damages for you.  If you’d like to discuss this possibility, fill out our simple form or give us a call and we’ll put you in touch with an experienced professional who can talk you through the details of your case and go over your options.  There will be no financial obligation on your part; that will fall to the asbestos companies if yours is a viable case.