Lung disease COPD: symptoms and important information

COPD is a chronic lung disease that is often underestimated. In this article, we explain which symptoms can indicate this.

COPD or COLD: a dangerous lung disease

COPD stands for "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". Sometimes you read COLD, which means "chronic obstructive lung disease". Both terms stand for the same disease.

• The English term describes quite well what the disease is about: It affects the lungs and is a chronic disease: once the changes in the lungs have developed with COPD, they persist for life. As a rule, you continue to progress.
• The word "obstructive" provides further information about what COPD is about. This means narrowing of the airways. This does not completely regress even when taking appropriate medication.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2007 that there are 210 million people affected worldwide.
• In 2020, lung disease is said to be the third leading cause of death.

Smoking as the main cause

Smoking is the biggest risk factor.

• About half of all older smokers suffer from COPD - more or less advanced.
• Women are more at risk here than men. By the way, passive smoking can also cause COPD.
• Another cause can be genetic predisposition.
• It is also common for many cases to occur within a family, even if the COPD is not inherited directly. Rather, the reason is an inherited disease, known as alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, in which those affected are more likely to develop COPD.

Forms of COPD: Pink Puffer and Blue Bloater

There are two basic types of COPD, which are clearly different from each other. However, there are also mixed forms.

• Pink buffers suffer from COPD with emphysema. The alveoli are either overstretched or completely destroyed. One speaks of an over-inflation of the lungs. The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place in the alveoli. Exhaling pink buffers is particularly difficult because the alveoli are destroyed and part of the carbon dioxide remains in the lungs.
• With the Blue Bloater, on the other hand, there is an undersupply of the blood with oxygen, the technical term for this is hypoxia. On the other hand, with this form of COPD, the level of carbon dioxide in the blood is increased, this is called hypercapnia.

Pink puffer symptoms

With the Pink Puffer, the respiratory flow is disturbed, causing breathlessness.

• This is also the main symptom of the pink buffer. Those affected suffer from a dry cough, so there is little sputum.
• Due to the constant shortness of breath, pink buffers put extreme pressure on their breathing muscles and consume a lot of energy. Many calories are burned just for breathing. The result: those affected lose a lot of weight over time, which can even reach underweight.
• Their name Pink Puffer - translated means "pink puffers", these COPD patients owe their skin color: They are usually rosy.

Symptoms of COPD in the blue bloater

The Blue Bloater can also be recognized at first glance.

• Due to the lack of oxygen in the blood, blue bloaters - "blue bloated" - mostly blue lips. You can also see a blue discoloration of the hands.
• Blue bloaters, like pink puffer, suffer from constant coughing, but it is a so-called productive cough. That means sputum is produced.
• In contrast to pink buffers, blue bloaters are usually overweight. This form of COPD focuses on chronic bronchitis.
• Blue bloaters generally have a better prognosis than pink buffers.