Questions About COPD Symptoms

1. What happens if your oxygen level stays between 84 and 87?

   Question - An oxygen level in the range you mention (88% or less) is the usual indication for starting oxygen in patients with COPD. It is perhaps easier to answer the question of what oxygen can do in this situation, rather than what the effects of a low oxygen level are...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

2. How long will it take for my COPD and asthma to keep me from walking?

   Question - One important and perhaps underused treatment that may help your ability to walk again, even up hills and stairs, may be pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is generally appropriate for patients with COPD and shortness of breath while walking...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

3. Does living in a dry climate affect COPD symptoms?

   Question - There is a popular impression that dry and warmer climates may be better for patients with COPD and other breathing disorders. For instance, Arizona was often promoted for patients with various lung diseases including asthma and tuberculosis. However, there is no research confirming that notion...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

4. FAQ: Can Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) Cause Sleep Problems?

   Question - Yes, people with COPD can have many sleep-related problems. These can range from sleep interruptions and insomnia to severe sleep apnea. Some problems are fairly mild; others require help from a sleep specialist who can perform testing in a sleep lab. There's also sleep-testing equipment available that you can use at home...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

5. Will moving to a higher elevation make my COPD worse?

   Question - The answer depends on the severity of your COPD. The oxygen level will be lower at higher elevations, even in individuals with normal lung function, simply because of the lower barometric pressure. Since the normal lung has plenty of reserve, the oxygen at elevation may drop to a level that would still be considered normal, so it is usually not an issue...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

6. Is it safe to have a cat and bird if I have COPD and emphysema?

   Question - The question of COPD and pets is quite interesting. Both cats and birds can cause pulmonary problems but many patients with COPD have pets without any problem. Cats can cause asthmatic reactions in some individuals and some patients with COPD have such an asthmatic component...
   1 Expert Answer

7. How should I care for my husband, who has COPD?

   Question - My husband has COPD for over a year. It began with a scratchy throat and now he can't stop clearing his throat. He gets fatigued while taking a shower and chokes up with food or by drinking liquids. Now the found a mark in one of his lungs. He is supposed to get a t-scan 1/3/11. Should I be doing something...

8. Can cold winter weather make COPD symptoms worse?

   Question - COPD symptoms could certainly worsen with weather change, including heat, cold, dry or humid environments. Your mother's case may be similar to patients with exercise induced asthma. In such people, breathing cold and dry air may trigger an attack...
   1 Expert Answer

9. My friend with COPD is tired and out of breath all the time, is she in her last days?

   Question - There is probably still much that can be done for your friend. Even though she appears to have advanced COPD, this does not necessarily mean she is in her last days. Although commercials put a lot of emphasis on medications and inhalers, the best methods to improve and prolong life are much simpler:...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

10. Will some exposure to second hand smoke put me at risk for COPD?

    Question - My 91 y.o. mother was diagnosed with COPD. At the time, she had been living in an fully enclosed apartment building where smoking is allowed in the apartments. I believe this was a big contributor to her disease. However her husband of 48 years also smoked therefore she was exposed to second hand smoke as was I...

11. Is my COPD mother's odd behavior related to possible Alzheimer's?

    Question - The only way to tell if your mother with COPD has symptoms of Alzheimer's is to have a neurological evaluation performed in a hospital setting. People who have other disease entities, such as COPD, may also develop Alzheimer's or one of the other related diseases...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

12. What are the warning signs of COPD?

    Question - Early warning signs of COPD are variable from person to person and can present in multiple ways for one individual. Some early symptoms and warning signs that have been noted include: increased amount of sputum produced, sputum has increased in thickness or is extra sticky, change of sputum color to...
    1 Community Answer

13. What are the symptoms of end stage COPD?

    Question - COPD can be a frightening condition, and patients often wonder what the end will be like if they suffer with chronic COPD; when patient's succumb to COPD, the cause of death is likely to be heart or respiratory failure, heart stoppage caused by irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrhythmia, or pulmonary embolism or infection...
    1 Community Answer

14. What Are the Symptoms of COPD?

    Question - People with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) usually notice some of these symptoms:
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 8 Community Answers

15. Can an oxygen saturation level change if you go from mountains to sea level?

    Question - i just took a trip to a town at sea level, i took my sat level at 5100 ft and again at sea level and noticed a 3 point change, so i am guessing that would be about the benefit of moving to lower altitudes..
    1 Community Answer

16. Is pain while coughing and memory loss related to my COPD?

    Question - When people have a chronic lung disease, like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they often cough so much that it can strain all the muscles in their upper body, which is why you may be hurting everytime you cough. The cough often comes from mucus being too thick and difficult to cough out...
    1 Expert Answer

17. Is bronchospasm a symptom of COPD?

    Question - A patient suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, more commonly referred to as "COPD" is at great risk for a bronchospasm. A bronchospasm is the body's reaction to an irritant that is interfering with the breathing process, where airways become narrow and constricted due the muscles surrounding the bronchi contracting...
    1 Community Answer

18. What are the signs of end stage COPD?

    Question - End stage COPD patients have extreme problems with breathing and use nebulizer machines, inhalers, and a series of medications to help open up airways. The heart becomes very taxed at this time and patients may develop a barrel chest. Extreme and constant care must be given to patients with end stage COPD...
    4 Community Answers

19. What are the symptoms of advanced COPD?

    Question - The progression of the disease called COPD can be gradual and the early signs of this condition may be confused with other health issues, but some symptoms are definitely associated with advanced COPD which typically occurs in the latter stages of the illness...
    1 Community Answer

20. My grandfather left is land in trust to myself and 3 other...

    Question - Probably not.It's important to read the language of the trust to figure out what all of you have the right to do. But unless the gas rights were deeded to one person in particular, the beneficiaries should share the income from the leases equally...
    1 Expert Answer