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How many people does COPD effect? |
Because COPD is a progressive disease, patients may attribute early symptoms to aging or being out of shape. They may also believe they only have a benign smoker's cough. Although symptoms of COPD may be present earlier, people are typically diagnosed with COPD when they are older than 45 and have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history. Pack-years are calculated by dividing the number of cigarettes smoked per day by 20 (the number of cigarettes in a pack) and multiplying this figure by the number of years a person has smoked. For example, a person who smokes 40 cigarettes a day and has smoked for 10 years would have a 20 pack-year smoking history:
(40 cigarettes per day ÷ 20 cigarettes per pack = 2)
(2 x 10 years of smoking = 20 pack-year history)
- breathlessness even after mild exertion
- chronic coughing, which may or may not produce mucus
- frequent clearing of the throat
- chest tightness
- wheezing
- swelling of hands and feet
- pink skin
- physically thin appearance
- barrel-shaped chest
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