Symptoms of COPD Patients With A History of Smoking and Non-Smoking

Abstract

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive, incurable lung disease that causes chronic respiratory difficulty. Smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD, while some patients with the disease have never smoked. Understanding the differences in symptoms between patients with and without a smoking history can help guide more effective intervention.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and compare COPD symptom reports in patients with and without smoking history.

Methods: This study used a descriptive method with secondary data from COPD patients divided into two groups: those with a history of smoking (n=20) and those who did not smoke (n=20). Symptom complaints were classified into three types: good (3), sufficient (2), and poor (1). The percentage of each category was calculated to describe how the symptom reports were distributed throughout each group.

Results: In the group of COPD patients with a smoking history, 6 patients (30%) reported good symptoms, while 14 patients (70% reported sufficient symptoms). In the group without a smoking history, 14 patients reported good symptoms (70%), while 6 patients had sufficient symptoms (30%). In both groups, no patients reported problems that were rated insufficient. These findings suggest that patients with a history of smoking are more probable to suffer symptoms at a sufficient level than those without a history of smoking.

Conclusion: There is a difference in the distribution of COPD symptom reports between those with and without a smoking history, with those who have smoked having moderate symptoms. This study emphasizes the importance of stopping smoking in reducing the severity of symptoms in COPD patients.