COPD can be associated with many co-morbidities and lead to complications.
Frequent complications
- Respiratory infections. You are more likely to catch colds, the flu and pneumonia causing further damage to lung tissue.
- Heart problems. COPD can increase your risk of heart disease, including heart attack.
- Lung cancer. You have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
- High blood pressure in lung arteries. COPD may cause high blood pressure in the arteries that bring blood to your lungs (pulmonary hypertension).
- Depression and anxiety. Dealing with serious illness can contribute to the development of depression and/or anxiety.
- Sleep disorders. COPD symptoms can wake you up during the night and leave you tired during the day. Even more serious is sleep apnea, a condition in which you have repeated pauses in breathing while you sleep.
- Weight issues. If you’re overweight, your lungs have to work harder, it makes complications more likely. As COPD progresses, you might have the opposite problem: severe weight loss. Being underweight can also worsen symptoms.
- Osteoporosis or thinning bones is very common in patients with COPD. Bone mineral density declines and increases the risk of fractures.
- Diabetes. COPD could be responsible for the development of type 2 diabetes, explained by its link with obesity, shortage of oxygen (hypoxia), and the use of corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
- Gastroesophageal reflux that increases the risk of exacerbation.
Tips to avoid complications
- Quit smoking
- Physical exercise
- Medication
- Respiratory rehabilitation
