It can be difficult to tell asthma and COPD apart because both may include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Asthma is a risk factor for COPD and your chances of having both increase as you get older.
Yes, you can have both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
They are two different conditions with similar symptoms that can sometimes be challenging to tell apart. But each has distinct symptoms and characteristics that can help you determine which you may be living with.
This article will explain more about how asthma and COPD may be different and the same, including symptoms and treatments that can be similar for some people.
You can also take certain actions to help prevent COPD and lessen the impact asthma or COPD flare-ups have in your life.
COPD is a general term for progressive respiratory diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is characterized by decreased airflow over time and inflammation of the tissues that line the airway.
Asthma is usually considered a separate respiratory disease, but sometimes, it’s mistaken for COPD. Both are lung diseases that can have many of the same symptoms, including shortness of breath and coughing or wheezing.
Asthma-COPD overlap
While asthma and COPD are distinct diseases, they can be found in the same person. This is known as asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) syndrome.
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You can read more here about ACO and what you can discuss with your healthcare team.
You can look at the comparison chart below to see how each condition differs, from the symptoms and possible triggers to the causes and treatments.
Asthma and COPD may seem similar, but the following factors can help you distinguish between the two conditions.
| COPD | Asthma | |
|---|---|---|
| Age of onset | Adults 40 and older | Childhood |
| Causes | Smoking, second-hand smoke, exposure to fumes or chemicals; genetics | Unknown range of genetics and environmental factors |
| Symptoms | shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing | shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing |
| Triggers | respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia and flu, exposure to environmental pollutants | pollen, dust mites, mold, pet hair, respiratory infections, physical activity, cold air, smoke, certain medications, foods and beverages, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) |
| Other health conditions | high blood pressure, insomnia, impaired mobility, sinusitis, migraine, depression, stomach ulcers, cancer | high blood pressure, insomnia, impaired mobility, sinusitis, migraine, depression, stomach ulcers, cancer |
You may need similar or different types of treatment and management, depending on whether you have asthma or COPD.
Asthma
With asthma, you’re living with a long-term medical condition that can be managed over time with proper treatment. This often relies on working with your healthcare team to understand what triggers your asthma flare-ups and taking measures to avoid those situations.
Common
- Quick-relief medications: Bronchodilator inhalers may include medications that include short-acting beta-agonists, ipratropium (Atrovent), and oral and intravenous corticosteroids.
- Allergy medications: This might include allergy shots (immunotherapy) and omalizumab (Xolair).
- Long-term asthma control medications: This includes inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, long-acting beta agonists, combination inhalers, and theophylline.
- Bronchial thermoplasty: This type of procedure involves heating the insides of the lungs and airways with an electrode to help shrink the muscle inside the airways and reduce how often the airway tightens up and leads to breathing difficulties.
Some research shows this may help people alleviate unmanageable asthma attacks and symptoms.
Read more about different asthma medications and treatment options to discuss with your healthcare team.
COPD
The goal of COPD treatment is two-fold: to manage symptoms that allow you to live an active, healthy lifestyle and prevent your COPD symptoms from getting worse as you age.
The main steps to treat and manage COPD may include:
- Smoking cessation: Do not smoke and stop smoking if you smoke. You may consider nicotine replacement products or therapies that may include personal therapy, hypnosis, and support groups.
- Medications: These may include bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, combination inhalers, oral steroids, phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors, theophylline, and antibiotics.
- Lung therapies: This type of treatment may include oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation programs involving education, exercise training, nutritional advice, and counseling to increase your quality of life.
- Surgeries: This may include lung volume reduction surgery (removing areas of damaged lung tissue to increase space in the chest cavity for the remaining healthy lung tissue), a lung transplant (replacing diseased and damaged lungs with healthy, donated lungs), or bullectomy (removal of abnormally large air spaces from the lungs to help improve breathing).
You can work with your healthcare team to discuss your COPD symptoms and risk factors and what treatment options may be best for you if you’re already living with the condition.
Read more about COPD medications and treatment options.
Both asthma and COPD are long-term conditions that have similar symptoms that can affect your ability to breathe. They can both be managed and may have flare-ups depending on what your triggers may be, but COPD does often get worse over time.
While people with asthma and COPD tend to have the conditions for life, in some cases of childhood asthma, it can go away completely after childhood. People with both asthma and COPD can manage symptoms and prevent complications in certain ways and work with healthcare professionals on a treatment plan.