1. Losing weight isn't necessarily a good thing for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is because a person with COPD can spend five to 10 times more energy than a healthy person even when doing basic activities such as breathing, so getting sufficient proper nutrition becomes critical in managing the disease.
2. Apart from burning up more energy than normal for the simplest physical activity, many persons with COPD suffer from depression due to the debilitating effects of the disease, which further prevents eating.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) refers to lung function which has been damaged, usually by heaving smoking, in someone who is genetically susceptible to the disease.
Losing weight is a good thing for most people, but not necessarily when you are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A COPD patient can expend five to 10 times more energy than a healthy person for basic activities like breathing, so getting enough fuel from food becomes critical in managing the disease, explains Clinical Associate Professor Ong Thun How, Senior Consultant at the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group.
In the advanced stages of the disease, some patients may find themselves wasting away. The severe weight loss caused by COPD can make it even harder for patients to cope with the breathing difficulty and the extreme fatigue associated with the disease.
“Malnutrition and weight loss are common complications of COPD so it’s important for patients to maintain a healthy body weight to improve their prognosis and survival,” says Dr Ong.
Understanding COPD
COPD essentially refers to lung function which has been damaged, usually by heavy smoking, in someone who is genetically susceptible to the disease. There are two forms of COPD:
Chronic bronchitis is a condition in which the lining of the two bronchial tubes (lung airways) becomes inflamed and thickens. Mucus forms, making it difficult for the airways to carry air into the lungs.
Emphysema is the failure of the tiny air sacs or alveoli to oxygenate the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. This happens when the air sacs, found in each lobe of the lung, are damaged and lose their elasticity to expand and contract.
Many patients have overlapping features of both chronic bronchitis and emphysema. In both cases, the lung damage results in narrowing of the airways, thus restricting the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
What causes weight loss in COPD patients?
The following factors can cause people with COPD to lose weight:
- Burning up more energy than normal even for the simplest physical activity.
Even normal activities like dressing and washing will require high-energy output, resulting in weight loss.
- Feeling too depressed to eat.
The debilitating effects of COPD on everyday life can affect the patient’s emotional and psychological well-being – and interest in food.
Symptoms of COPD
The following factors can cause people with COPD to lose weight:
- Burning up more energy than normal even for the simplest physical activity.
Even normal activities like dressing and washing will require high-energy output, resulting in weight loss.
- Feeling too depressed to eat.
The debilitating effects of COPD on everyday life can affect the patient’s emotional and psychological well-being – and interest in food.
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