What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a medical term used to describe forms of serious lung conditions that cause the airways to narrow and become obstructive and inflamed, which in turn makes breathing difficult.¹ For more information, visit the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform.

What is a Flare-Up?

A flare-up, or exacerbation, can happen to people living with COPD. It is a sudden worsening of your COPD and may include some of the symptoms noted below. Flare-ups can last for days or even weeks, and may require antibiotics, oral corticosteroids, and even hospitalisation.¹

Did you know that a flare-up can be an indicator of COPD progression?²

Often flare-ups are dismissed as just part of life. Instead of discussing them with you or your loved one’s healthcare team (e.g., a general practitioner, pulmonologist, nurse or pharmacist), they might be ignored or tried to overcome alone. Every flare-up you or your loved one experiences can have a long-term impact on health.^2,3 Flare-ups may cause lung function to decline and increase the risk of hospitalization and of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.⁴ Because of this, it’s important to identify and manage flare-ups early.²

Know the signs of a Flare-Up

The signs of a COPD flare-up go beyond your day-to-day COPD symptoms and can include:^3,4,5

• Feeling breathless more than usual
• Coughing more than usual
• Seeing a change in amount, colour or thickness of mucus (phlegm)
• Feeling more tired than usual
• More trouble sleeping than usual or developing a headache when you wake up
• Feeling more confused than usual
• Noticing your oxygen levels are lower than usual

If you or the person you’re caring for experience any severe symptoms for any reason, it’s a good idea to report them to your/their healthcare team as soon as possible. Take the quiz to help understand if you or a loved one may have experienced a flare-up or are at risk of one and visit the resources page for more information and support.