Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of diseases that can block your body’s airways and interfere with your breathing. The most common of these are emphysema and bronchitis.
Around 16 million Americans have COPD, making it one of the most common kinds of lung disease. Many people who have COPD don’t know they have it either because their symptoms haven’t progressed or because they haven’t been diagnosed. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for COPD, but it can be treated and managed.
Why Is COPD More Prevalent in Women?
COPD usually develops in people over 40, and more women have it than men. Women are also more likely to develop it at a younger age. While the risk of dying of COPD for men has decreased in recent years, it has increased for women.
Scientists currently don’t fully understand why women are more likely to develop COPD. However, they have a few theories:
- Hormones—Women have much higher levels of estrogen than men, which scientists believe may make women more susceptible to the damaging effects of cigarette and tobacco smoke.
- Smoking—Women have smaller lungs and bronchial tubes than men, which could mean that smoking is more damaging to women’s lungs. This damage may contribute to the development of COPD.
- Sensitivity to pollutants—Some studies indicate that women may be more sensitive to and harmed by pollutants in the air, such as dust. Again, this may be due to having smaller lungs and bronchial tubes than men.
Populations Most at Risk of Being Affected by COPD
According to the World Health Organization, COPD was the third-leading cause of death worldwide in 2019, accounting for 3.23 million deaths. More than 80 percent of COPD-related deaths in 2019 occurred in low- to middle-income countries.
Environmental factors, such as less regulation on pollutants and high levels of smoke inhalation from cooking indoors, can put citizens of low- to middle- income countries at higher risk of COPD. Other pollutants linked to COPD include tobacco smoke (both firsthand and secondhand exposure), airborne household chemicals, and workplace hazards such as dusts and fumes. People who are exposed to harmful dusts and particles or develop frequent lung infections during childhood are at a particularly high risk of developing COPD later in life.
What Are the Symptoms of COPD in Women?
Although COPD is more common in women than men, the symptoms are similar in both and include:
- Chronic cough
- Fatigue
- Frequent respiratory infections, including pneumonia and bronchitis
- Increased mucus production
- Lips and fingernails that look blue
- Shortness of breath, even while not exerting yourself
- Wheezing sound when breathing
Of all these symptoms, shortness of breath is among the most common and concerning.
The American Lung Association recommends that people who experience shortness of breath discuss the symptom with their doctors right away. The sooner that COPD is diagnosed and treated, the more successful that treatment is likely to be.
What Are COPD Stages?
COPD has four progressive stages:
- Stage 1 (Mild)—Many people with mild COPD have no symptoms at all. Early-stage COPD often begins in a person’s 50s and may initially present as a nagging cough that may be dry or that may produce small amounts of phlegm. As COPD advances in stage 1, patients may feel a little shorter of breath after exercise than normal.
- Stage 2 (Moderate)—As COPD progresses into stage 2, the symptoms from stage 1 worsen and become more noticeable and pronounced. Coughing becomes more persistent and produces more phlegm; shortness of breath worsens; and fatigue is more common while performing daily tasks. Patients may begin to experience mood changes due to low energy levels and fatigue.
- Stage 3 (Severe)—At this stage, COPD can be debilitating as symptoms occur frequently throughout the day. Chest infections become more common and severe, and wheezing may occur with just mild exertion. Patients’ ankles, feet and legs may become swollen.
- Stage 4 (End-Stage)—COPD can be fatal when it progresses to stage 4. People with end-stage COPD may struggle to breathe even when at rest. Their breathing also may produce a “crackling” sound, and they can become delirious, have an irregular or fast heartbeat, lose weight, and develop high blood pressure in the lungs and the right side of the heart.
What Are the Treatments for COPD?
While there’s no cure for COPD, lifestyle changes and treatments can help reduce symptoms and slow its progression. COPD treatment and management steps include:
- Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke. Smoking can not only cause COPD to develop, but it can speed up its progression in people who develop it.
- Receiving a lung transplant for severe or end-stage COPD
- Starting an exercise program that’s safely within your body’s current capacity and limitations for physical exercise
- Starting a pulmonary rehabilitation program, which can include exercise, disease management training, nutritional counseling and psychological counseling
- Taking certain medications such as bronchodilators to relax muscles around your airway and antibiotics for certain infections
- Undergoing oxygen therapy to help you breathe more easily and increase oxygen levels in your blood
- Undergoing surgery when COPD becomes severe or less manageable to remove damaged lung tissue and large air spaces that interfere with breathing
Can Women with COPD Live with the Condition?
People who get an early diagnosis of their COPD and live a healthy lifestyle can live for an additional 10 or even 20 years. Those with stage 1, or mild COPD, have life expectancies that are similar to those of people who don’t have COPD. People with severe COPD have shortened life expectancies.
Regardless of COPD stage or severity, life expectancy can often be increased by getting diagnosed and taking steps to manage the disease. The more well-controlled COPD is, the longer the life expectancy of the patient with the disease.
Our Lung Specialists Provide COPD Diagnosis, Management and Treatment
COPD can be a debilitating and even fatal disease, but people who get diagnosed early and take the right steps toward managing the disease can significantly improve their health outlook.
At the University of Maryland Medical System, our lung specialists treat a wide variety of pulmonary conditions and diseases, including COPD. If you suspect you have COPD or want a better treatment plan, contact us today to schedule an appointment.
More to Read
- The 6 Most Common Triggers for COPD
- 5 Ways to Manage Your COPD Medications Better
- Questions To Ask Your Doctor or Pharmacist About Your COPD Medications
- Build an Action Plan for COPD Flare Ups
