Symptoms include:
- getting short of breath easily when you do everyday things such as going for a walk or doing housework
- having a cough that lasts a long time
- wheezing in cold weather
- producing more sputum or phlegm than usual
You might get these symptoms all the time, or they might appear or get worse when you have an infection or breathe in smoke or fumes.
If you have COPD that has a severe impact on your breathing, you can lose your appetite, lose weight and find that your ankles swell.