Smoking is the most common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an often fatal respiratory condition that afflicts millions of Americans. But for many patients living with COPD, stopping smoking isn’t the end of the battle.
Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture of gases, chemicals and even bacteria. When it enters the lungs, it generates an inflammatory response much like pneumonia.
Inflammatory cells normally clear from the lungs when an infection ends or a patient quits smoking, but in patients with COPD, these cells may persist for years. Destructive enzymes produced by these cells – intended to destroy bacteria – cause progressive lung damage and respiratory failure characteristic of COPD.
I second that 2 greys, Hi deny I was looking at your posts about a diagnosis ? It all depends on your symptoms, generally breathlessness is more emphysema dominant whereas chronic mucus secretion and coughing are more chronic bronchitis and asthma related. They are all obstructive related. I’ve had mild obstructive deficit disease diagnosis for twenty years ( read my posts)but having researched my condition, reading thousands of articles over the years I’ve worked out that my dominant disease is Chronic bronchitis and major issue is mucus build up and a clearing hmm hmm cough because I feel congested a lot.I am very fit and jog regularly so I know my issue is not emphysema even though a HRCT scan recently showed emphysematous changes in both lungs. Most long term smokers will have that. It is symptoms that tell the tale and spirometry tests. The gas transfer test can identify emphysema on a spirometry test. It shows how well you lungs are transferring oxygen in to your blood etc,It’s all about symptoms. I stopped smoking a decade ago but have still been getting worse the last few years. It is from catching chest infections. I have had three rippers in the last three years and my condition progressed since then . I now hear crackles in my lungs for the last two years and a burning chest sensation. The crackles are especially worse in bed and when lying down when I breathe in. Very unsettling. Lung specialist thinks it’s mucus build up . I can’t take symbicort or any steroid inhalers they make things worse pretty quickly. Tested them several times. I use bronchodilators like ventolin or spiriva. Any how drop me a line with your symptoms and test results if you want to. I’m in Australia. Regards Bobby
Thanks so much for this information and firstly let me say that I’m sorry to hear about the crackles in your lungs and burning chest sensation. That sounds unpleasant. It’s good to hear you’re fit. I try to keep fit and I’ve noticed lately that my walking uphill, which used to leave me breathless, has improved. There’s a killer hill near our house and I force myself to walk it - I like a challenge!
My main symptoms are breathlessness on exertion and coughing up disgusting green phlegm first thing in the morning. Does that sound more like chronic bronchitis or emphysema? I really don’t know and I’d like to know what a gas transfer test is? I have annual spirometry tests so would that tell me? Symbicort seemed to stop working for me and seretide gave me nasty side effects - intolerable itching! Now I take Fostair which seems to be an improvement.
What part of Oz do you live in? My youngest has lived in Perth for the past 6 years. Married an Aussie and has baby no 2 on the way. I’m praying I can go over next year to see her and the babies.
Is it worth stopping then I have been smoke free for 3yrs now and my COPD has got very bad since stopping I actually felt better when I smoked the mind boggles x
Snap I've struggling with my breathing stopped 11 MTHS ago breathing getting worse I'm wheezing have swollen ankles and tummy GERD everything worse since I stopped although I had no breathing problems till I stopped London hospital said we are not offering u any intervention so thinking of smoking again waited a year for referral to royal Brompton then tests I'm having to jump through hoops and getting no where I'm frightened just feel the nurses and doctors don't care
What exactly does the London hospital mean by 'not offering any intervention"? Are they just not gonna treat you at all because you were a smoker, or are you just unable to pay, or both?
They just said they won't be offering me any intervention it took a year to get the referral in the first place so guess it's too late to offer me any help
I think you will find a lot of ex-smokers have and do say the same. I myself said this for a long time and indeed have almost been tempted to start again and I quit almost five years ago. It is baffling but I think the advice not to is correct as our lung problems will only get worse a lot quicker.
I think a lot of the problem is a psychological one, we are lead to believe that quitting will improve our health when in actual fact, with damage already done by smoking, it is too late for some. When we feel so rotten because quitting uncovers issues, we automatically think it wasn't so bad smoking when all it was doing was hiding it!
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Never ending respiratory infections
First visit to restpertery clinic 
Lung nodule thanks every one who replied 
Has anyone had a Spirometry test recently?
Anyone asking about Trimbow inhaler
