Chronic Cough
Another early warning sign would be a cough that does not quit. Chronic coughs typically last for 8 weeks or more. With COPD, the coughing is a direct result of the inflammation in the airways. The problem is that, like shortness of breath, many COPD sufferers initially overlooked their coughing, because many of them are smokers who had developed the “smoker’s cough.”
Sometimes, the coughing is dry, but others may experience productive coughing, or coughing that brings up phlegm. Keep in mind that coughing a defense mechanism within the body that is meant to expel irritants and other dangerous particles from the lungs. If you are coughing persistently, it means that your lungs are struggling to properly function.
