How Can You Recognize When a Loved One with COPD Might Have a Lung Infection?

Caregiver in Bridgehampton NY

Part of your job as a family caregiver for someone who has COPD is recognizing when there might be a bigger problem, such as an infection in your loved one’s lungs. The more quickly you get an infection treated, the better for your loved one.

Your Loved One Has a Fever

Almost every type of infection is accompanied by a fever. Your loved one might have only a mild fever along with a lung infection, but any fever at all is something that you should definitely investigate further. Your loved one might have other symptoms of a fever other than feeling warm to the touch, such as chills, sensitive skin, or just feeling more tired than usual.

Your Loved One Has Some Chest Pain

Being short of breath or simply being exposed to triggers can cause a loved one with COPD to experience tightness or pain in the chest. An increase in the type or severity of pain or tightness in the chest can indicate that your loved one is developing an infection in his lungs. If your loved one has never experienced chest pains before as a result of his COPD, this symptom can be especially frightening.

Your Loved One Has More Shortness of Breath than Usual

Shortness of breath is an extremely common symptom for people with COPD, so you might not notice that this is a symptom of something else at first. One of the clues that you can look for is the severity of your loved one’s shortness of breath. If he’s usually able to walk on the treadmill for several minutes, for example, but suddenly has trouble, this might be something to investigate further. Your loved one’s doctor can let you know at what point shortness of breath is a problem. He might even recommend using a pulse oximeter at home to accurately measure the oxygen in your loved one’s blood.

Your Loved One Has More Mucus or Changes in His Mucus

Your loved one may produce mucus or sputum normally as a symptom of his COPD. If there is an increase in the amount of mucus, however, this can be a sign that his lungs are dealing with an infection. If the mucus changes color or thickness, this can also be a cause for concern. Your loved one’s doctor may take a sample of the mucus in order to test for specific types of infections.

If you notice any of these symptoms in your loved one, it’s best to contact his doctor right away. His doctor can take chest x-rays, run culture tests, or test for lung infections in other ways.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional caregivers in Bridgehampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.