Treatment of COPD
If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), your healthcare team will work with you to create a personalised treatment plan to help manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
COPD is a progressive condition, but the right treatment and self-management can make a difference. Your plan may include inhalers, steroid tablets, antibiotics, oxygen therapy, and support for flare-ups through a Rescue Pack.1,2
Your healthcare team will talk to you about the right treatments for you at your appointments.
Inhalers for COPD
One of the first treatments you may be prescribed is an inhaler, or sometimes more than one. Inhalers deliver medicine into your lungs and can help relieve symptoms like breathlessness and wheezing.1–3
Types of inhalers
Your doctor will decide which inhaler is right for you, based on your symptoms and needs. The most common types are:3
Bronchodilators
These relax the muscles around your airways, helping you breathe more easily. Short-acting inhalers should be used when you feel breathless, up to a maximum of four times per day, whilst others last longer and may only need to be used once or twice a day.
Steroid inhalers
These reduce inflammation and swelling in your airways. If you’ve had a few flare-ups, you might be prescribed a combination inhaler that includes a steroid and bronchodilator(s).
Using your inhaler correctly
It’s important to use your inhaler inhaler exactly as prescribed. Many people find inhalers tricky at first, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’re unsure how to use your inhaler, ask your nurse, pharmacist, or doctor to show you.4
Tip: A large clinical trial showed that people who regularly took their inhalers over a 3-year period had fewer flare ups and it took longer to have their first flare up, compared with people who didn't stick to their treatment plan.5
Why not add this to your discussion list for your next appointment?
Steroid tablets for COPD
You might be prescribed a short course of steroid tablets if you have a flare-up. These reduce inflammation in your airways and help you breathe more easily.2
Steroid tablets can have side effects if used for a long time, such as:2
Weight gain
Mood changes
Weak bones (osteoporosis)
To avoid any negative effects of taking steroids, your healthcare team will keep the dose as low as possible and monitor you while you take them.
Other COPD medicines
Antibiotics
You may be given antibiotics if you have a bacterial chest infection. Signs to watch out for include:3
More breathlessness than usual
A change in the colour or stickiness of your mucus (phlegm)
Coughing more than usual
It is important to always take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. They are usually prescribed for 5 days.3
Mucolytics
If you cough up a lot of mucus, your doctor might prescribe a tablet or syrup called a mucolytic. This medicine makes mucus thinner and easier to clear from your chest.3
Oxygen therapy for COPD
Some people with COPD have low oxygen levels in their blood, which can affect energy, sleep, and cause swollen ankles (oedema). If your oxygen levels are low for a long time, it can also put extra strain on your heart.6,7
In this case, your doctor may recommend oxygen therapy to help improve how your body works day to day.
Types of oxygen therapy6
Long-term oxygen therapy
Used for 15 hours or more a day to keep oxygen levels stable
Ambulatory (portable) oxygen therapy
Helps you stay active while on the move
Palliative oxygen therapy
Used at the end of life to ease symptoms
You’ll use a mask or small tubes (nasal cannula) to breathe in oxygen at home. Oxygen therapy is designed to help you feel better and boost your energy.7,8
What is a Rescue Pack?
A Rescue Pack is a set of medicines your doctor may give you to keep at home in case of a COPD flare-up. It usually includes:1
Steroid tablets — to ease inflammation
Antibiotics — to treat infections if your phlegm gets stickier or changes colour
Having a Rescue Pack can help you treat a flare-up quickly and help keep you out of hospital.
When should I use my Rescue Pack?
Follow the advice in your action plan as agreed with your healthcare team and use your rescue pack as soon as you notice signs of a flare-up. You should always tell your GP if you use your rescue pack to treat a COPD flare-up, so they can review your treatment and see if you need any changes to your medicines.1
In case of emergency
Call 999 if you have sudden or severe shortness of breath and:1
Your chest feels tight or heavy
Pain spreads to your arms, neck, back or jaw
You feel confused suddenly
These could be signs of a medical emergency and you should seek urgent medical advice.
Understanding your COPD self-management plan
Your COPD treatment plan is designed to help manage your symptoms, reduce flare-ups, and improve your quality of life. Everyone’s plan is different, and your healthcare team will work with you to find the treatment that’s right for you.9
What might your COPD treatment plan include?
Here are some things your doctor might suggest:2
Stopping smoking
This is one of the most important things you can do for your lungs
Inhalers and medicines
These help ease symptoms and improve breathing
Pulmonary rehabilitation
A specialist programme of exercise and education to help you manage COPD
Oxygen therapy
Provides extra oxygen through a mask or nasal tubes if your levels are low
Non-invasive ventilation
Uses a mask over your nose or face to help you breathe more easily
Surgery or lung transplant
This is only considered in a small number of cases
For more information on pulmonary rehabilitation, visit our information page, here.
Your healthcare team will take several things into account when creating your plan, including:3
How severe your COPD is
Any previous side effects from medicines
How it affects your daily life
Together, you’ll decide which treatments are best for your needs.
Why is it important to follow your COPD self-management plan?
Following your treatment plan can:9,10
Help you manage flare-ups
Help you manage your breathing
Reduce your chances of needing hospital care
Improve your energy and ability to be active
It may feel overwhelming at first, but the more you understand your COPD and your treatments, the more confident and in control you’ll feel. With time, you’ll learn to recognise your symptoms, manage your medicines, and cope better with flare-ups.
How to use your COPD self-management plan
Here are some simple steps you can take:11
Know your medicines
Learn what they’re called, when to take them, and how much to take
Share information
Tell your carer, a family member, or anyone supporting you about your treatment
Use tools like the COPD self-management plan
The Asthma + Lung UK booklet includes a helpful tracker where you can write down your medications, doses, timings, and notes
Don’t forget
- Always get your repeat prescriptions on time
- Don’t stop taking medicines without speaking to your doctor
- Let your healthcare team know if you have any side effects or concerns
You are not alone – asking for help is an important part of managing your condition.
Add to discussion list
Use your discussion list to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Not sure what to do?
If you ever feel unsure about your treatment, your symptoms, or anything else related to COPD, speak to your medical team. No question is too small. It can help to write down any questions before your appointment.
Healthcare team could include a GP, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist, dietitian, occupational therapist, counsellor and stop smoking advisor.
Healthcare team could include a GP, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist, dietitian, occupational therapist, counsellor and stop smoking advisor.
Abbreviations:
COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GP, general practitioner.
References:
- Asthma + Lung UK. Managing COPD flare-ups. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/managing-copd-flare-ups. Accessed November 2025.
- NHS. Treatment. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/treatment/. Accessed November 2025.
- Asthma + Lung UK. Medications for COPD. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/medications-copd. Accessed November 2025.
- Jardim JR, et al. Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7:doi.org/10.3390/medsci7040054.
- Vestbo J, et al. Thorax. 2009;64:939-943.
- Asthma + Lung UK. What is home oxygen therapy? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/symptoms-tests-treatments/treatments/home-oxygen-therapy/what-is. Accessed November 2025.
- Asthma + Lung UK. Will I benefit from home oxygen therapy? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/home-oxygen-therapy/will-i-benefit-home-oxygen-therapy. Accessed November 2025.
- Asthma + Lung UK. How is home oxygen delivered? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/home-oxygen-therapy/how-home-oxygen-delivered. Accessed November 2025.
- NHS. Living with COPD. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/living-with/. Accessed November 2025.
- Asthma + Lung UK. What can you do to manage your COPD? Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/what-can-you-do-manage-your-copd. Accessed November 2025.
- Asthma + Lung UK. COPD Management Plan. Available at: https://shop.asthmaandlung.org.uk/collections/health-advice-resources/products/copd-self-management-plan. Accessed November 2025.