I've always been a coughy-type person and my 10 year pack a day cigarette habit wouldn't help much, but lately I notice whenever I catch a cold (every few months or less), it always without fail goes to my chest and then all day I feel very constricted in my chest when I breathe in or out, and can always hear a very distinct wheeze. Sometimes it is a low rumble or a buzz, other times it's a high pitched whistle, and other times it's almost like an echo sort of sound.

I never feel at risk of not being able to breathe at all, but I do find it very uncomfortable and using Ventolin does not work, as I don't think it's typical asthma as such, but more the phlegm from the cough that causes the irritation.

Anyone have any advice? (besides to quit smoking of course. I have been like this - with the cough and asthma - since I was a child though, long before I started smoking)

To me it sounds like you have chronic bronchitis with an asthma component. You should see you doc and ask him to test you.

Yes, you need to quit smoking asap. It won't get any better until you do.

Lu

I know quitting is hard, I watched two parents go thru it. I never personally smoked but grew up in a household of 3 packs a day by my parents so inhaled a lot of second hand. Wheezing is frequently what they ask about with asthma. Like you without fail my colds etc end up in my chest- I call it my weak spot. I'm sick right now so I have more phlegm. I know its the easy answer but yes think about quitting. That may not make everything go away. Like me I never smoked left my parents house a long time ago and developed asthma in the past year. I too would recommend seeing someone to listen to your lungs and maybe do some time tests/

I'm 31 and this year was my 10 year/pack a day of smoking and three days ago I had to go to ER for not being able to breathe. They told me I have reactive asthma and that smoke, chemicals, animals, dust, and about a million other things can cause me to have an attack. I have been around pets, cleaned with harsh chemicals like bleach, been around dust all my life and smoked for the last 10 yrs with no problems at all! So how this could suddenly come on out of no where is beyond me but it did and I have been in the ER and urgent care center off and on for the last 3 days trying to breathe. That's all I want... To breathe... I'd rather have both my legs smashed flat than this feeling! It's horrid not being able to get your breathe no matter what you do. I've been scared to death. The 1st day I went to the ER and got albuterol, it helped and I could breathe (not 100% though - more like about 70%) and I thought I was good to go this is over, I can smoke and if i take albuterol I'll be healed in a few days.. WRONG! I got one puff of the cigarette and within seconds could not breathe or even speak. I'm luck that my sister was here because I'd never have made it to the Dr alone... I couldn't even find my cell to call 911! All I could do was sit and gasp for air, it was hell. After that ER visit, they gave me a breathing treatment and an injection of steroid + a steroid inhaler to take home and use 2x a day along with my albuterol. Well, I have never had such a hate for cigarettes in my life! I can't even look at one w/o feeling scared after what happened. Anyway, my brother came into my house with a cigarette in his hand and smoked the whole thing. I was taking a shower when this happened and I came into the livingroom and same thing! Couldn't breathe.. It took about a minute this time to really hit me, but first it was this tight feeling, and then a cough, then weezing and then I couldn't speak w/o out sounding like i lost my voice. Had to run to the Urgent care down the road it's closer than the ER thank God! Again, had to have breathing treatment, more steriods, and this time they gave me a LONG talk about everything I needed to avoid, do and change in my life to live with asthma. The worst is I can't be around my dog anymore! But I'll do anything to keep my breath so today I did what they said and I have been able to breathe all day. My family knows to keep the smoke away from me now too. Anyway, my point is that you MUST stop smoking. I'm one of those people who could never stop smoking unless it almost took my life and it did! Now I'm really messed up. I can't clean with 409, bleach, lysol or anything. I'm getting allergy tests done soon but like I said, I've been around all these things all my life and just now - poof! My life has changed big time within a day for the worse!