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What Causes Severe Cough In A Patient With COPD?
Question: Hi, my wife has severe COPD. She used to have a cough which brought up much mucus. She has quit smoking now for about 45 days. Her cough now is dry and kind of whistles but no mucus or very little. At times she says it seems hard for her to catch her breath but her 02 levels are very good. What do you think is happening?XXXX
Brief Answer:
Heart problem or COPD can be the reason of such symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
I assume that she was smoking for a very long time. Please note that with every cigarette she smoked, inflammation of her lung were stimulated. Due to such inflammatory process which were active for as long as she was smoking, her lungs were slowly destroyed. Unfortunately this process is not reversible. Quit smoking stops this process, but it wont make her lungs to work property.
Cough and breathing problems are typical symptoms of COPD. It will slowly get worse. This is the consequence of smoking. And not much can be done with it.
Moreover, smoking increases risk of lungs cancer. Atherosclerosis is also much more advanced in case of chronic smoking.
Atherosclerosis leads to heart ischemia and heart insufficiency. This can be a reason of shortness of breath as well. She may also have legs swelling in case of heart problem.
For sure what is happening now, has nothing to do with getting rid of tobacco.
I suggest her to consult cardiologist and pulmunologist. Heart ultrasound should be done. Coronoarography should be considered. Pulmunologist should perform blow test to see how advances is the disease.
To rule out lungs cancer, chest CT should be also done.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Heart problem or COPD can be the reason of such symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
I assume that she was smoking for a very long time. Please note that with every cigarette she smoked, inflammation of her lung were stimulated. Due to such inflammatory process which were active for as long as she was smoking, her lungs were slowly destroyed. Unfortunately this process is not reversible. Quit smoking stops this process, but it wont make her lungs to work property.
Cough and breathing problems are typical symptoms of COPD. It will slowly get worse. This is the consequence of smoking. And not much can be done with it.
Moreover, smoking increases risk of lungs cancer. Atherosclerosis is also much more advanced in case of chronic smoking.
Atherosclerosis leads to heart ischemia and heart insufficiency. This can be a reason of shortness of breath as well. She may also have legs swelling in case of heart problem.
For sure what is happening now, has nothing to do with getting rid of tobacco.
I suggest her to consult cardiologist and pulmunologist. Heart ultrasound should be done. Coronoarography should be considered. Pulmunologist should perform blow test to see how advances is the disease.
To rule out lungs cancer, chest CT should be also done.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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