I have smoked for 14 years, and the last 3 years I have been coughing a lot and the mucus is there but I cant seem to cough it up, can someone tell me if this is cancer or emphysema?
Coughing and can't breath, for both. Doctor could go deeper into a diagnosis and give you the good news. Pneumonia!
Peace.
P.S. After three years of coughing, you haven't stopped smoking? You want to commit slow suicide?
Maybe emphysema or that chronic bronchitis- which is the cause of 'smokers cough', sounds kinda like thats what you have?
It could also be lung cancer but I think that has different symptoms- weight loss, coughing up blood, etc. I am not sure if it has the same symptoms as the other two early on though.
You should talk to your doctor about it, they may want to run some tests? Also you may want to quit smoking at this point, most of the lung damage from all 3 of those problems will be irreversible but you don't want it to get worse. the doc can help with that
Shortness of breath is a sure sign that the lungs are damaged. go see a doctor ASAP. he will listen to you breathe, and may order a x-ray. X-ray will show any spots caused by a lung problem. but the best thing you can do for yourself is to stop smoking; it's a loaded gun to your head.
I had no signs. I had lung cancer. I do know that my les hurt real bad to where I went to the emergency room. thats when I found out I had cancer. more than 8 hours later on a hunch. go to the doctor and get a chest xray.