Is stage 2 COPD classed as severe?

Doctors consider stage 2 COPD to be moderate. When a person has stage 2 COPD, their symptoms can include shortness of breath, chronic cough, and frequent respiratory infections. COPD will generally become more severe as the disease progresses.

What does Stage 3 COPD mean?

What does stage 3 COPD mean? Stage 3 COPD is a severe restriction in the amount of air flowing in and out of your airways. At this stage, it is very likely that your daily activities are being affected by your difficulty in breathing. You may even have been hospitalized one or more times to treat your condition.

What are the stages of the lung disease COPD?

COPD has four stages. The stages of COPD range from mild to very severe. COPD affects everyone differently. Because COPD is a progressive lung disease, it will worsen over time. Your doctor will categorize your COPD stage based on your COPD symptoms and results from your lung function tests. For some people,…

How are stages of COPD determined in the gold system?

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) developed the GOLD Staging System. In the GOLD System, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) measurement from a pulmonary function test is used to place COPD into stages. Often, doctors also consider your COPD symptoms.

Can a COPD be treated at any stage?

Even if you receive a diagnosis of advanced COPD, you should know that it is still possible to treat your COPD. The sooner you receive proper treatment, the better able you will be to manage your symptoms and maintain your quality of life. When your COPD is classified by stage (also known as a grade), it will be diagnosed as Stage 1, 2, 3, or 4.

How is the life expectancy of someone with COPD determined?

Here are the stages: Each stage has a different impact on each sufferer, but the general idea is the higher the stage of COPD, the shorter the life expectancy. Another system that doctor’s use to measure life expectancy with COPD is with the BODE Index.