Several years ago, Pittsburgh internal medicine physician Anthony Spinola, MD, conducted an annual physical exam on a middle-aged male patient who had a chronic cough. During their conversation, the patient complained about shortness of breath after minor activities and said that his breathlessness would occasionally worsen.
In-office spirometry indicated severe obstructive lung disease and a follow-up chest x-ray confirmed a diagnosis of emphysema.
“The best thing for him to do at that point was to quit smoking,” notes Dr. Spinola.
It took two years and a subsequent diagnosis of heart disease for the patient to quit.
“Like many other patients, he regretted not quitting earlier, in spite of the warning signs. But at least he did quit and is now on medication to help control his cough.” Dr. Spinola adds that although his patient’s symptoms are better controlled, he still has bad spells, especially in the winter when he spends more time indoors and can be exposed to infection.
“There is no cure, but we can help alleviate the symptoms. I encourage any patient with a chronic cough or shortness of breath to talk to your doctor immediately. And if you smoke, please quit.”