Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic condition that damages the lungs, getting worse over time. The disease can cause persistent coughing, infections, fatigue and shortness of breath. The leading cause of COPD is smoking, however non-smokers exposed to noxious particles or gases may also get COPD.
Symptoms of COPD include:
There are treatments to help you with COPD. You may already be taking medications. These topics also explain how specific therapies for COPD work:
Patients with COPD can experience aggravations or flare-ups that can be serious and life-threatening. Knowing the symptoms and being prepared for flare-ups is important in managing your health.
Having a flare-up action plan is crucial for managing COPD. It can help you and your health care provider identify COPD triggers so you can make the necessary lifestyle and environmental changes.
Consider keeping the updated COPD Flare-Up Action Plan (648KB, PDF) on hand.
Symptoms of a flare-up may include:
For information on COPD flare-ups and how to manage them, visit:
People with COPD are at higher risk of severe problems from certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines can reduce the risk of these preventable diseases.
For more information about vaccines, visit:
Some lifestyle and environmental factors can impact your physical health and may worsen your COPD. Learn about lifestyle adjustments that can make living with COPD easier.
Smoking is the primary cause of COPD. The best way to slow down the severity of COPD is to quit or reduce smoking to help you improve your quality of life. To read more, visit Quitting smoking (HealthLinkBC File #30c).
QuitNow provides one-on-one support and resources in multiple languages to help your strategy to quit.
BC Smoking Cessation Program helps cover the cost of nicotine replacement therapy products and specific smoking cessation prescription drugs.
With COPD, you may have lower energy levels or feel less hungry than you used to. Eating healthy can help you to meet your energy and nutrient needs. Being physically active when you have COPD can help you breathe easier and feel better. Benefits of regular activity include reduced shortness of breath and risk of flare-ups as well as improved physical fitness and quality of life. To learn more, visit:
Poor air quality can cause COPD or make symptoms worse. Breathing chemical fumes, dust, second-hand smoke or air pollution over a prolonged time may also damage the lungs. For more information, visit:
Advance care planning is recommended for all patients with a diagnosis of COPD. Write down your wishes or instructions for present or future health care treatment in case you become unable to decide. For information and tools for starting a plan, visit Planning for advanced care.
Learn about COPD programs, find educational resources or speak to a certified respiratory educator for answers to questions on lung diseases and related matters.
Find trusted and reliable information on treatment, medication and more for people with COPD. Use the lung health search tool to help with finding services for managing COPD or help with quitting smoking.
Call toll-free in B.C., 8-1-1, or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing to get personalized assistance. Speak to a navigator who can guide you to reliable health information or connect you with a health professional. Translation services are available in over 130 languages.
