The main symptoms of COPD are persistent cough, shortness of breath and phlegm, these may be worse during the winter or after a cold and the patient may describe it as a 'smoker's cough'.

Cough: the most common symptom, and usually the first to develop, is a chesty (productive) cough. The extra mucus that is being produced needs to be removed from the lungs and coughing is the body's natural way to do this. As the condition gets worse the cough will become more and more persistent and more sputum (mucus) is produced; this is often referred to as a 'smoker's cough'. This is the first sign that the lungs are being damaged.

Breathlessness/wheezing: feeling short of breath and wheezing starts to happen as the damage to the lungs gets worse. At first it may only occur following exertion such as climbing the stairs or walking to the shops. This will get worse as the disease progresses and shortness of breath can happen even whilst resting. Breathlessness frequently limits the patient's ability to exercise.

Chest infections: infections in the airways will be more common in someone with COPD. Symptoms of coughing and breathlessness will become worse when a person has a chest infection, this is known as an exacerbation. A sign of an infection is yellow or green-coloured sputum and is more likely during the winter months.

Other symptoms: as the disease progresses there may be other symptoms that develop such as tiredness or fatigue, weight loss and ankle swelling. Swollen ankles are often a sign that the heart is not pumping the blood effectively, a problem that becomes more likely as COPD gets worse.