What Is a COPD Exacerbation?
Even though you may have never heard the term, if you have COPD, chances are, you’ve had an exacerbation. Most people with COPD periodically suffer from a marked worsening of their COPD symptoms. This can last for a few days and often requires antibiotics, oral steroids, and in some cases, hospitalization. Doctors call this an exacerbation (ig-zas-er-BAY-shun). The good news is there are ways to reduce the number of COPD exacerbations.