What Is COPD? Causes, Early Symptoms, and How It’s Treated

November 13, 2025

Dr Manjush R Mudadevannanavar
MD Pulmonary Medicine Fellow in Interventional Pulmonology Consultant Pulmonologist

Breathing  it’s something we all take for granted, until it starts feeling like a chore.
For millions of people, that’s what life with COPD feels like. The lungs get weaker, the airways tighten, and suddenly, a short walk can feel like a mountain climb.

In India, more than 55 million people live with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  many of them undiagnosed. The earlier it’s caught, the easier it is to manage. With the right care, COPD treatment can help people live fully and breathe more easily every day.

So, What Exactly Is COPD?

Think of COPD as an umbrella term for long-term lung diseases that make breathing tough. Over time, the airways become narrow and inflamed, trapping air inside the lungs. It’s like trying to breathe through a blocked straw  frustrating and exhausting.

Unlike asthma, which usually shows up early in life, COPD symptoms tend to sneak in as people get older. Initially, it may be just a lingering cough or mild breathlessness. Then, slowly, it becomes part of everyday life  unless treated in time.

COPD Causes and Risk Factors

The biggest COPD cause? Long-term damage from inhaling harmful particles or gases.
Smoking is the top culprit  cigarettes, bidis, hookah, everything counts. But that’s not the whole story. Even people who’ve never touched tobacco can develop COPD.

Other COPD risk factors include:

• Breathing second-hand smoke for years

• Cooking with firewood, dung, or coal in poorly ventilated kitchens

• Working in polluted or chemical-heavy industries

• Genetic issues such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

And here’s the thing  COPD doesn’t discriminate. Men, women, smokers, non-smokers, city folks, village residents  all are vulnerable, especially where the air isn’t clean.

Spotting Early COPD Symptoms

The early signs of COPD can be easily missed. Many people just assume they’re “getting old” or “a bit out of shape.”
But the body gives clues  we just have to notice them.

Common COPD symptoms include:

• A cough that never really goes away

• Shortness of breath during daily activities

• Wheezing or chest tightness

• Frequent colds, flu, or chest infections

• Fatigue or lack of energy
  

If ignored, symptoms can progress  swollen feet, bluish nails, or veins showing on the chest can follow. These are red flags that the body is struggling to get enough oxygen.

How Doctors Diagnose COPD

There’s no single test that just shouts “COPD.” It’s a combination of conversations, tests, and observations. A Pulmonologist usually begins with your medical history  smoking habits, exposure to dust or fumes, family background, and so on.

Then comes spirometry, a breathing test that checks how much air you can blow out and how fast. It’s simple but powerful. Other COPD diagnosis tools include:

• Chest X-rays or CT scans to study lung changes

• Blood gas tests to check oxygen levels

• Genetic testing for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in rare cases

COPD Treatment Options

There’s no “cure” for COPD, but there’s a lot that can be done to keep it under control. The focus is to relieve symptoms, prevent flare-ups, and slow the damage.

Here’s how COPD treatment usually works:

• Quit smoking: Nothing helps more than this one step.

• Bronchodilators: Inhalers that relax and open up the airways.

• Steroids or antibiotics: Used during flare-ups to calm inflammation and clear infections.

• Oxygen therapy: For patients whose oxygen levels dip too low.

• Pulmonary rehab: A program with breathing exercises, fitness training, and guidance on nutrition.

• Surgery: In severe cases, options like lung volume reduction or transplant are considered.

• Vaccines: Flu and pneumonia shots prevent infections that can worsen symptoms.

Living Better With COPD

COPD may be lifelong, but it doesn’t have to define your life. With steady care and healthy habits, Nanjappa’s expert Pulmonology team helps you continue doing the things you love maybe at a different pace, but still on your own terms.

Simple steps make a big difference: quit smoking if you haven’t already, stay active  even a short walk helps. Eat nutritious food, practice yoga or breathing exercises, and wear a mask in polluted areas. Most importantly, learn to use your inhaler properly.

Early COPD diagnosis and regular COPD treatment at Nanjappa can turn things around. It’s not about just living longer  it’s about living better. Because every breath you take should feel like freedom, not effort.