What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a medical term used to describe forms of serious lung conditions that cause the airways to narrow and become obstructed and inflamed, which in turn makes breathing difficult.¹ For more information, visit Lung Foundation Australia.

What is a Flare-Up?

A flare-up, or exacerbation, is a sudden worsening of your COPD which requires additional treatment such as antibiotics or oral corticosteroids. Flare-ups are different from the day-to-day changes in your COPD symptoms and can last for days, or even weeks.² Severe flare-ups may lead to hospitalisation. Identifying the early signs of a flare-up is important so the appropriate treatment can be started early.²

Did you know that a flare-up can be an indicator of COPD progression?²

Often flare-ups are dismissed as a natural change in COPD symptoms. Every flare-up you or your loved one experiences can have a long-term impact on their health.^1-3 Flare-ups may cause lung function to decline and increase the risk of hospitalisation.² Because of this, it’s important to identify and manage flare-ups early.²

Know the signs of a Flare-Up

The signs of a COPD flare-up go beyond your day-to-day COPD symptoms and can include:^2-4

• Feeling breathless more than usual
• Coughing more than usual
• Seeing a change in amount, colour or thickness of mucus (phlegm)
• Feeling more tired than usual
• More trouble sleeping than usual or developing a headache when you wake up
• Feeling more confused than usual
• Noticing your oxygen levels are lower than usual

If you or the person you’re caring for experience any severe symptoms for any reason, contact your/their healthcare team as soon as possible. Take the quiz to help understand if you or a loved one may have experienced a flare-up or are at risk of one and visit the resources page for more information and support.