COPD Symptoms of Lung Infection in COPD Infection can be tricky to distinguish from a COPD flare By Deborah Leader, RN Deborah Leader, RN Deborah Leader RN, PHN, is a registered nurse and medical writer who focuses on COPD. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 18, 2020 Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Sanja Jelic, MD is board-certified in pulmonary disease, sleep medicine, critical care medicine, and internal medicine. She is an assistant professor and attending physician at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, NY. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Causes Frequent Symptoms Rare Symptoms Complications When to See a Healthcare Provider If you or a loved one has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung infection may occur at some point. The inflamed, narrowed airways and damaged air sacs characteristic of the condition makes one more prone to developing lung infections, particularly pneumonia. While it's important to focus on preventing infection, you will also want to be on top of identifying symptoms, should they arise. To complicate things, it can be tricky to distinguish between a lung infection and a COPD flare-up. The more you know, the more prepared you'll be. Verywell / JR Bee Causes Lung infections happen when pathogens collect in a person's air sacs and begin to grow. The air sacs may become filled with pus and fluid, which can make breathing more difficult, cause chest pain, and lead to a cough that is different from the usual chronic cough one associates with their disease. The primary types of lung infection include pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis. These conditions are typically caused by bacteria and viruses. It's much rarer for a lung infection to be caused by fungi, but it can happen. Fungal infections are generally more common in people who have weakened immune systems. Frequent Symptoms The following signs and symptoms of lung infection should alert you to contact your healthcare provider right away, especially if you have COPD. Fever Normal body temperature varies from person to person, but in general, it's around 98.6 degrees F. Having a fever—meaning a temperature at or higher than 100.4 degrees F—is one sign that you may have a lung infection and your body is working to fight it off. With a fever, you may also experience chills or shaking. Increased Shortness of Breath Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is one of the hallmark symptoms of COPD. However, if it begins to worsen, this could be a sign that you are developing a lung infection and need to contact your healthcare provider. In addition to a feeling of breathlessness, rapid breathing (tachypnea) and a rapid heart rate (tachycardia) may also be signs of a lung infection. Productive Cough While a chronic cough is another common symptom of COPD, a cough that gets worse and becomes more productive, for example, more excess mucus, may be a sign that a lung infection is brewing and medical attention is needed. Changes in Mucus Many people with COPD complain about an increased amount of mucus (sputum or phlegm). However, when a lung infection is present, mucus production not only increases in amount, but it generally gets thicker, stickier, and changes color. It can also have a foul odor to it. Rare Symptoms Rarer signs and symptoms may depend on the specific type of lung infection you have. Make sure to seek immediate help if you feel like your breathing ability is getting worse. Pleuritic Chest Pain Chest pain associated with infection of the lungs is often described as a sharp, aching pain on one side that gets worse when breathing deeply (pleuritic chest pain). It may also feel like pressure or tightness inside the chest wall. However, pleuritic chest pain can also indicate that problems other than infection are going on in the lung or even the heart. Be sure to seek medical attention if you're experiencing any type of chest pain. Cyanosis Your skin, lips, and nails may take on a slightly bluish color, a symptom called cyanosis. This is rare yet significant, as it means that you're not getting enough oxygen in your bloodstream and should seek medical help immediately. What Is Cyanosis? Complications People with COPD are at higher risk of lung infection due to a reduced ability to clear bacteria, dust, and other pollutants. Having COPD simultaneously with a lung infection can exacerbate your COPD symptoms and make breathing more difficult, and lead to other serious complications that can potentially damage the lungs and be life-threatening if left untreated. Such complications include: Emphysema: A collection of infected fluid (pus) in the space between the lung and the surrounding membrane (pleural space). An empyema can build up and put pressure on the lungs. Pleural effusion: An excess of fluid in the pleural space that can make it hard for the lungs to fully expand and breathe deeply. Abscess: Often resulting from aspiration pneumonia, an infection that develops after you inhale food, liquid, or vomit into your lungs. A lung abscess is a rare but serious complication that forms when the body's immune system attempts to wall off the infection. Antibiotics are usually required. Sepsis: An untreated abscess could result in the onset of sepsis, a dangerous overactive and toxic immune response. Sepsis is a rare yet life-threatening potential complication of lung infection. When to See a Healthcare Provider Lung infections can get worse if left untreated, especially when you have COPD. If you've noticed a change in mucus, cough or wheezing that seems worse than usual, call your healthcare provider. If you have a fever and COPD, seek medical help quickly. Antibiotics may be required if you have a bacterial infection, but if you have a viral infection, you might need to wait it out and let your body fend off the virus on its own. However, you may need additional medical support to help your airways remain clear and open while you work to fight the infection. Seek help from your healthcare provider in either case. COPD Doctor Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. A Word From Verywell It can be hard to tell whether you are experiencing a COPD flare-up or a lung infection, and both can co-occur, as the change from your baseline symptoms can be subtle. Because of this, it's best to call your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms—especially a fever—or if you simply feel like something is different or a little off. Sometimes your gut instinct is the best sign that something is wrong. What Is Inflammation of the Lungs? 13 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Walters JA, Tang JN, Poole P, Wood-Baker R. Pneumococcal vaccines for preventing pneumonia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;1(1):CD001390. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001390.pub4 Cleveland Clinic. Pneumonia. Periselneris J, Armstrong-James D. Invasive and chronic fungal lung infections. Ann Res Hosp. 2017;1:42. doi:10.21037/arh.2017.09.04 Penn Medicine. Could it be pneumonia? Miravitlles M, Ribera A. Understanding the impact of symptoms on the burden of COPD. Respir Res. 2017;18(1):67. doi:10.1186/s12931-017-0548-3 Harvard Health Publishing. Cracking the cough code: recognize cough symptoms so you know when to seek treatment. American Lung Association. Pneumonia symptoms and diagnosis. Reamy BV, Williams PM, Odom MR. Pleuritic chest pain: sorting through the differential diagnosis. Am Fam Physician. McMullen SM, Patrick W. Cyanosis. Am J Med Sci. 2013;126(3):210-212. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.11.004 Quaderi SA, Hurst JR. The unmet global burden of COPD. Glob Health Epidemiol Genom. 2018;3:e4. doi:10.1017/gheg.2018.1 Urso B, Michaels S. Differentiation of lung cancer, empyema, and abscess through the investigation of a dry cough. Cureus. 2016;8(11):e896. doi:10.7759/cureus.896 Kuhajda I, Zarogoulidis K, Tsirgogianni K, et al. Lung abscess-etiology, diagnostic and treatment options. Ann Transl Med. 2015;3(13):183. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2015.07.08 American Lung Association. Pneumonia treatment and recovery. Additional Reading American Lung Association. Pneumonia. Lung.org. COPD Foundation. Staying Healthy and Avoiding Pneumonia. By Deborah Leader, RN Deborah Leader RN, PHN, is a registered nurse and medical writer who focuses on COPD. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit