tight throat

i am facing this problem.. i have been smoking for the past 7 years and lately if i smoke regular cigarettes or weed i get a feeling as if my throat is blocked and i cant stop coughing.. i know i should quit smoking but any idea why this is happening?

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

What you describe suggests that you have chronic tracheo-bronchitis from the smoke and that is the cause of your cough.  There is great variability of response to the irritant effect of smoking and in the development of chronic lung disease.  Your response after only seven years suggests that you may fall on the sensitive end of that spectrum.  If so, this would be a strong indication for you to stop smoking, now and forever.  I also recommend that you see your doctor for physical examination of your throat and lungs and for pulmonary function testing as there could be an inherited basis for your early onset symptoms.

There is a myth that pot smoking is safer than standard cigarettes.  Not true.  Pot is a strong respiratory irritant.

Good luck