Living with COPD: Understanding COPD Stages
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD is a long-term lung disease that makes breathing more difficult.
COPD tends to get worse over time, and actions you can take can either speed up or slow down this progression.
There are four stages of COPD, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe.
Your healthcare provider will determine what stage your COPD is at when you are diagnosed and throughout your COPD journey.
Your healthcare provider will recommend treatment based on your COPD stage, health history, risk of flare ups, and symptoms.
Exposure to poor air quality, using tobacco products, or not getting recommended vaccinations can all negatively impact your lung health. This may cause your COPD to progress more quickly to the next stage.
There are steps you can take to help keep COPD from getting worse. Discuss these three things with your healthcare provider.
Follow your COPD Action Plan.
If you aren’t taking your medication as directed, talk to your healthcare provider about why. Together, you can brainstorm a medication plan that works for you.
You might feel like it is not safe, or even possible to exercise with COPD, but the right amount and type of activity has many benefits. Your healthcare provider can help you decide what type of physical activity is right for you and how to get started.
Frequent flareups can speed up disease progression. Flareups are a sudden worsening of symptoms. As soon as you notice your COPD symptoms are worsening call your healthcare provider to get back on track.
Everyone’s COPD journey is different, but there are steps you can take at any stage of your COPD to help slow the progression and keep living your best possible life.
Learn more at Lung.org/copd.
