It might be much more than you think. Smoker’s cough can be a symptom of chronic obstructivsmokere pulmonary disease (COPD). The primary cause of this disease is tobacco smoke through smoking tobacco, but also through passive smoking as well. COPD used to be a dominant disease in men, but in the present day, men and women are affected almost equally, as women in high-income countries tend to smoke more.

Symptoms of this disease include breathlessness, abnormal sputum and a chronic cough and can interfere with daily activities. COPD develops slowly; therefore it is frequently diagnosed in people over 40 and is not curable. Treatment can help control symptoms and improve quality of life for patients suffering from COPD.

Smokers, if you can’t catch your breath at the top of the stairs or your smoker’s cough annoys you and people around you, visit your doctor to check your lungs. And remember, even though Stoptober is over it’s never too late to stop.