mum suddenly has severe breathing problems with phlem (smoker, 40 years)

[molly703]

Hi guys,
I am writing on this regarding my mum, who i am quite concerned about. She is 56 and has been a heavy smoker for forty years. When i say heavy smoker, i literally mean 30-40 fags a day.
The other day my mum drove me home, as she parked over, she suddenly could not breathe, she made the noise of someone who was choking for instance. She could neither get air in or out. She could not even put the hand break on as she opened the door n pretty much fell out of the car trying to catch air,  and left me rolling as i was climbing across trying to help. This is unusual for my mum. She wouldn't let me call an ambulance and wont let me get her a doctor. Her face went red and she was coughing up phloem. Usually my mum has a horrible (sounds like) smoker cough and tends to cough up phloem as well but this time was very different. She told me this has happened to her four times now, and i do not find it normal at all. luckily i had an inhaler on me, which did help. This attack lasted for around 3 minutes. She also keeps suffering with a chest like cold repeatedly but i do not believe this is any sort of chest infection.
Does anybody have any advice as to why this could be happening? Would be grateful for any help. I have tried to do some research myself, but as we all know the internet can give us scary ideas in our heads. I did however find that emphysema sounded extremely familiar.
Thankyou

[Jumong]

I believe she is suffering from chronic bronchitis rather than emphysema. Tell her to stop smoking and see a specialist asap.

[Jerry_NJ]

Smoking destroys the lungs and other organs.  What's to understand?  

The only hope I believe is to stop smoking, completely, and sorry to say I doubt that is enough but it may slow down the decline.  

Of course, see a doctor there may be other factors, even a flu or other virus, but I believe continued smoking totally unacceptable. Smoking kills millions of people around the world each year.