Should I get this checked out

[mjroper]

I smoked about half a pack a day for ten years. ( 18-28) For the last 4 years, I smoke only when having drinks. That translates into about half a pack a week - usually in one night with the rest of the week being zero.

Over the last couple of years I have - with varying levels of regularity - begun excersing and getting in better shape. At one point I was swimming a mile a day with no problems. However, I have noticed something that has me a little concerned. My wind has not improved as I would like it to on the treadmill. I go for 3 or 4 miles with heart rate reaching 160 or so. But, I only feel comfortable running for about a quarter mile and then I walk a tenth and so on until I reach the desired distance.

Sometimes, I feel like my chest is tight and I am not getting as much breath as I would like. But, I had a history of panic attacks and know that sometmes things are just in my head and are worse when I focus on it. And with the chest tightness, it never bothers me if I am busy or distracted - just when I think about it.

So, is this most likely in my head and I need to power through it? Or does this sound like something I should have checked out. Also, if I should get it checked out, I currently do not have health insurance and am concerned that if something were discovered that it would be a pre-exsiting condition when I applied for coverage and woudl therefore be excluded from coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[National Jewish]

At this time the most important thing that you can do for yourself is to quit smoking!  You may want to look at our Quit Smoking Topic Center at http://www.nationaljewish.org/topic/smoking_cessation.html for ways to quit smoking.  Also check locally for other quit smoking resources in your area.

To know for sure if your chest tightness and shortness of breath are due to a lung problem you will need to have testing done.  Generally testing for a breathing problem starts with a simple breathing test called spirometry.  It provides detailed information about how your lungs are working.  You exhale into a machine called a spirometer.  The spirometer measures how much air you can exhale in the first second and how much air you can exhale total.  For the testing to accurately measure how your lungs are working, it is important that you give your best effort when exhaling.  It will show if there is obstruction in your airways.  National Jewish Medical and Research Center offers this testing throughout the Denver Metro area free of charge.  It is your choice to share the results of this testing with your doctor and/or insurance company.  Check in your area to see if anything like this is offered.  This would be a way for you to know if this is in your head or in your lungs.  Then you would also know if this is something that you want to have checked out further when you are covered by insurance.

[Ellis7]

Step 1 is stop smoking.
Step 2 is get health insurance.
Step 3 is see a doctor and get a checkup.