Health condition · Clinically reviewed
COPD
COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - causes progressive breathlessness, cough and infections, almost always after years of smoking; it cannot be reversed, but treatment substantially improves symptoms, exacerbations and life expectancy.
Why trust this guide
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Clinically reviewed
Written by our editorial team and reviewed by a registered UK clinician before publication.
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Sourced from guidance
Checked against current NHS and UK specialist society guidance at the time of review.
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Current for 2026
Reviewed on 2026-09-27 with the next review scheduled for 2027-09-27.
Key facts
The essentials at a glance.
The symptoms to recognise, when to seek help, which specialist to see, and what treatment usually involves.
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Suspect COPD with breathlessness on exertion, chronic cough or phlegm, and winter chest infections in anyone over 35 with a smoking history
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Diagnosis requires spirometry showing airflow obstruction that does not fully reverse
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The four interventions with the biggest impact: stopping smoking, flu/COVID/pneumococcal vaccination, pulmonary rehabilitation, and correctly chosen inhalers
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Specialist: a consultant respiratory physician; pulmonary rehabilitation improves breathlessness and quality of life as much as any drug
Understanding the condition
What it is and what happens next.
What causes it, how it is diagnosed, and the treatment routes available in the UK.
What it is and how it feels
COPD develops silently over decades as smoke damages both the airways (chronic bronchitis) and the delicate air sacs (emphysema), and by the time breathlessness bites - typically climbing hills, then stairs, then dressing - considerable lung reserve has already gone. The condition announces itself gradually enough that many people write it off as age or being unfit, attend only when a chest infection floors them, and are diagnosed years later than they could have been. Spirometry, a simple blowing test, makes the diagnosis and grades severity.
Diagnosis and treatment routes
Treatment is genuinely worthwhile at every stage: stopping smoking is the single intervention that slows the disease itself, vaccinations prevent the infections that drive decline, and modern inhalers - long-acting bronchodilators, combined where needed with inhaled steroids for those with frequent flare-ups or higher eosinophils - reduce breathlessness and exacerbations. Pulmonary rehabilitation, a supervised exercise and education programme, delivers improvements in walking distance and confidence that consistently surprise people, and a written plan with standby antibiotics and steroids turns exacerbations from crises into manageable events. In many parts of the UK, routine NHS referrals for this kind of problem currently take 20-45+ weeks, whereas an initial appointment with a private consultant is typically available within around two weeks.
Seeing a specialist
Who to see, and how quickly you can be seen.
The specialist for this condition is usually a consultant respiratory physician. Your GP can refer you on the NHS, or you can arrange a private consultation directly.
A quiet reminder
This guide is for information, not medical advice.
Your GP knows your history and can tell you which parts apply to you. If in doubt, see them - and seek urgent care for any of the emergency symptoms described above.