Recognising and Managing COPD Flare-Ups for Faster Recovery

Medically Reviewed by: Dr Jackie Gray, Public Health Expert and Retired GP
(Carents Trusted Reviewer Programme – Last reviewed July 2025)

Treatment for COPD aims to:

• Prevent and control day-to-day symptoms

• Help your lungs work as well as possible

• Keep you active and living longer

• Reduce the number and severity of flare-ups

Routine care isn’t just about inhalers or tablets. It’s also about knowing what to do when symptoms change and having a plan you can follow without panic.

Preventing COPD flare-ups isn’t always possible, but there’s a lot you can do to reduce the risk.

Daily habits could make a difference:

• Sticking to prescribed medicines even when they feel fine.

• Avoiding known triggers like cigarette smoke, air pollution, strong scents, and cold air.

• Getting vaccinated against flu and pneumonia to reduce infections that can trigger a flare-up.

• Staying active with gentle exercise, as advised by the medical team.

• Eating well and staying hydrated to keep the body stronger against illness.

For carents, prevention also means helping your loved one avoid overexertion and making sure they have everything they need to rest when their breathing worsens.

By staying alert to small changes and following the COPD action plan, you can help keep flare-ups fewer and milder.

Most people with COPD have periods where symptoms are stable, and times when breathing suddenly becomes worse.

These flare-ups (also called acute exacerbations) can be mild or serious enough to need hospital care.

At first, it’s hard to know how severe a flare-up will become. Acting quickly, ideally in those first few days, gives the best chance of avoiding hospital and recovering sooner.

COPD symptoms can change from day to day. But if changes last more than 24 hours, you may be dealing with a flare-up.

Watch for:

• More coughing than usual

• Shortness of breath that’s worse than your normal

• More phlegm than usual

• Changes in phlegm colour: yellow, green, tan, or bloody

If you’re unsure, it’s often safer to treat it as a flare-up and get advice, rather than wait and risk it getting worse.

It’s not always easy to know when COPD symptoms are serious enough for medical help.
A good rule: if you’re asking yourself whether to call, you probably should.

Call your doctor or NHS 111 if:

• Shortness of breath is worse than usual and resting doesn’t help

• Phlegm changes colour, thickens, or becomes bloody

• Coughing becomes more frequent or more severe

• You feel more tired or confused than usual

• Chest pain or fever develops

• You are at all concerned- it is always better to ask than simply worry

Call 999 immediately if breathing is severely difficult, lips or fingers turn blue, or you feel dizzy or faint.
Getting professional advice early, even if it turns out to be a false alarm, is safer than waiting and risking a hospital emergency.

If your parent lives with COPD, they should have regular check-ups with your GP, practice nurse, or hospital lung specialist.  They should also have a personal COPD action plan. 

These medical appointments are your chance to:

• Review their symptoms

• Check their treatment is still right for them

• Update their COPD action plan

Their action plan should clearly explain:

• How to spot early warning signs

• What steps to take immediately

• When to use a rescue pack(see below) if they have one

• When to call for urgent help

Carents can play a big role by keeping track of symptoms, supporting treatment, and making sure advice is followed.

Caring for someone with COPD at home can be rewarding but also challenging.
Your role isn’t just about helping with medicines, it’s about spotting problems early and knowing what to do.

Key tips for carents:

• Keep the COPD action plan in a place you and any carers or medics can reference easily

• Write down any changes in symptoms, no matter how small

• Make sure rescue packs are in date and stored safely but accessibly

• Keep emergency phone numbers visible and easy to find

• Encourage rest and help reduce stress during flare-ups

Sometimes carents worry about overreacting. But with COPD, quick action is better than hesitation. Your fast decision-making can prevent a hospital admission and help your loved one recover more comfortably at home.

Access our COPD toolkit for more information on caring for someone with COPD.

Some people with COPD keep extra medicine at home for flare-ups.This rescue pack might include antibiotics, steroid tablets, or both, depending on what works best for you.

The main advantage is speed, you can start treatment immediately, without waiting for a GP appointment or pharmacy visit.

• If you’re unsure when to start: Call their GP, practice nurse, or NHS 111 for advice.

• If symptoms aren’t improving: Seek urgent medical help.

• If symptoms improve after using it: Still tell their GP or nurse so they can:

• Replace the pack

• Record how often flare-ups are occurring

• Adjust the COPD action plan as necessary 

Rescue packs give peace of mind, but they only work well if you know when and how to use them, and if they’re replaced after each use.

A COPD action plan (sometimes called a care plan or treatment plan)  is a written guide agreed between you, your loved one, and their healthcare team.
It sets out exactly what to do when symptoms change, including:

• Early signs to watch for

• Medicines to take and in what order

• When to use a rescue pack

• When to call the GP, NHS 111, or 999

Action plans take the guesswork out of stressful situations.
They also help medical professionals understand a patient’s medical history and give faster, more accurate treatment.

For carents, an action plan is like a map in an emergency, it means you don’t have to make decisions on the spot under pressure.
If your loved one doesn’t have one, ask their GP or nurse to create it with you.

A COPD flare-up can be frightening, both for the person living with it and for the carent.
Knowing the early signs, acting quickly, and using your rescue pack or action plan can make the difference between a short recovery at home and a stressful hospital stay.

Don’t wait. If symptoms worsen, get help within 24 hours. Early action is your best protection.

COPD flare-ups are not just a physical challenge,  they take an emotional toll too.
Carents often carry the weight of deciding when to call for help, managing treatment, and keeping the household running, all while worrying about the person they love.

Ways to cope over time:

• Breathe slowly and steadily during tense moments, it helps you think clearly

• Reach out to friends or support groups for reassurance and shared experience

• Keep a notebook to track symptoms, questions, and medical advice, it reduces mental load

• Remember that you can’t control every flare-up, but you can control how quickly you act

Caring for someone with COPD is demanding. Taking care of your own emotional health is not selfish, it’s essential for being able to keep supporting them.

Medically reviewed by Dr Jackie Gray, July 2025