Weight loss
COPD muscles work harder during inspiration and expiration. This burns more calories, and can lead to extreme weight loss, which can further worsen the condition of the patient. Balanced diet with enough calories is very important. An estimated 40 to 70 percent of COPD patients suffer from weight loss at some stage of the disease. Without sufficient calories, COPD patients are more likely to:
§ Suffer from lung infection
§ Get lethargic
§ Experience shortness of breath
When caloric intake is not meeting your body’s energy needs, body gets tired and lethargic. Hence, your body starts to catabolize fat and muscle tissue resulting in weight loss in the patient. It is significant that people with COPD eat enough calories to avoid unplanned weight loss.