My dad is a healthy 93 year old who has been recently experiencing shortness of breath--just talking on the telephone I can hear him trying to catch his breath-excessive coughing w/ flem etc. I want to have him see a specialist but not sure to even make the appt. with-- pulmonary specialist? Could it be due to something w/ his heart--so a cardiologist? He went to his family doctor awhile ago and they did a chest x-ray and everything looks fine . They gave him some pills of some sort that he s supposed to take if he feels the coughing coming on--but there s no warning for that. He s not a smoker. Could have been exposed to harsh chemicals over his lifetime working as a interior/exterior painter in the days when no one knew the toxic effects of chemicals/asbestos, etc??? COPD??