Hi Doctor, Iâ??m in a seemingly unique situation in regard to my lung health for my age, and I hope to gain a more thorough understanding of what I can expect in the future. I am 31 years old, male, 6â??0â?? tall, 195 lbs, and I started smoking when I was about 23. I smoked around ¾ of a pack a day during this time frame. Though seemingly not a lot of pack-years, I have a high strung personality, and I smoked very quickly if that means anything. Maybe a year or so ago I started noticing some issues with my body. Heart palpitations and significantly elevated heart rate at times (may be partially related to stress and/or anxiety). Also, I started to experience rib pain, sometimes for days at a time in one spot, but the pain would come and go, and be located in different areas of my chest. I also noticed that these pains would sometimes show up in my armpits, lower back, hips, and abdominal region, though most often in the ribs and armpits. These pains prompted me to ask my GP for a chest x-ray about 7 months ago. My GP determined that I had moderate lung hyperinflation and told me this is indicative of emphysema, but at its beginning stages. X-ray showed no signs of bullea. The doctor told me that this hyperinflation will reverse over the years if I quit smoking. I did some internet research, and I decided to see a Pulmonologist. A spirometry was ordered, and some of the values include (from memory but accurate, I do not possess the test results anymore): FVC: 127% of predicted FEV1: 108% of predicted FEV1/FVC ratio: 71% (Normal value for my age/gender/height/weight is 82% according to test) The interpreterâ??s opinion is that FEV1/FVC is borderline, and the test results indicate normal lung function. Results not significantly improved after inhalation of Asthma medication, though some of the other values not shown above were improved a little. The Pulmonologist was not too concerned, but he did prescribe an Albuteral inhaler, as I do experience very slight shortness of breath. It seems that it takes a little more effort to breath than it used to, the use of the inhaler does help though. I have quit smoking since this ordeal, and the pains, palpitations, and heart rate issues have gone away. But I still do notice my breathing is not quite as efficient as before smoking. I usually sleep on my side as I find breathing easier this way. I really would like a second opinion in regards to hyperinflation being reversible as long as I quit smoking. My GP said that my lungs should revert back to normal size in 5 to 10 years. In my research, I did not read this anywhere, and I read a lot. I like my Doctor a lot and trust him, but he is very young. The other thing I would like to know is based on the info I provided, and being at a relatively young age, what can I expect 20 years from now and beyond. My GP feels that I probably donâ??t have anything to worry about provided I donâ??t smoke, but this doesnâ??t seem realistic to me, and I feel he may be trying not to worry me about it. I will be less worried when I have a realistic understanding of my situation. Please help, and thanks. My email is YYYY@YYYY . Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me. Robert Baade