Complications of COPD

Complications of COPD can be serious and even life-threatening. Proper recognition of signs and symptoms as well as adherence to a medical plan of care is paramount to successful treatment. Learn more about complications of COPD.

Welcome to the COPD complications image gallery, a photo guide to COPD complications. Follow this guide to get a better picture of how COPD complications can affect you.

Pneumonia is a lung infection which can occur in patients who have COPD. The risk of acquiring bacterial pneumonia is relatively high, because people with COPD have weakened immune systems. Learn more about pneumonia as it relates to COPD.

Respiratory failure is a true medical emergency. A common complication of COPD, respiratory failure occurs when the lungs are unable to successfully remove all of the carbon dioxide from the body. Learn more about respiratory failure.

Secondary polycythemia is acquired from a rare disorder that causes the body to produce an increased amount of red blood cells. It is one of the complications of COPD. Secondary polycythemia is caused by an excessive production of ethyropoietin, a hormone that is responsible for red blood cell production.

Cor pulmonale is a complication of COPD in which there is either an enlargement or failure of the right side of the heart. Cor pulmonale is caused by a number of chronic lung diseases, COPD being just one of them.

Pneumothorax is defined as the accumulation of air or gas in the space between the lung and the chest wall. Pneumothorax occurs because of a hole that develops in the lung, which allows air to escape in the space around the lung, causing the lung to completely collapse. Pneumothorax is one of the complications of COPD.

Learn more about pulmonary hypertension, one of the complications associated with COPD. Discover what goes on in your lungs when you have pulmonary hypertension. Find out how pulmonary hypertension is diagnosed.

Malnutrition is a common complication of COPD. Find out why.

Hot summer temperatures can cause severe illness and even death. For people with COPD, the risk for injury is even greater. Extreme heat can cause people with COPD to have an increased level of shortness of breath which can lead to further complications of COPD. Learn how to beat the summer heat and avoid COPD complications.

Anesthesia and COPD