Please help I'm worried

[S_Griff]

Im a male 32 years old necame a heavy smoker in last few years. About a year ago was diagnosed w upper res infection. Was given antibiotics and he cleared up to a degree but it is never cleared up after this day I have to clear my lungs constantly when I get everything out seconds later it starts to build back I spoke with my doctor he said that it's because I'm smoker and if I quit smoking it will go away.  I have an appointment w pulmonary doctor next week I do have a little pain in my chest and I constantly have congestion in my nose aa well this is been going on for quite some time. I have strong lungs can hold breath for almost 2 min. Headaches often. I am on suboxone for a substance abuse problem a few years ago. Vicodin. I'm clean but I am very scared. Had a chest X-ray 1 1/2 ago clear and Pulmonary doc said I could do what ever for next 20 years but I would get Emphysema so quit smoke soon! I'm working on it! I'm am soooo scared u know when somthing feels off. I wanna live. I'm married and a father and working on number two. Please any help advice would be great. Thank you soooo much. Always weezing?  Clearing chest! I
About a pack a day but I'm quoting within the next month 100%.  God bless thanks so much

[Jerry_NJ]

Okay, you know the problem and what hast to be done, quit smoking.

I am an example of the "dad" story above.  I smoked from high school, I mean I smoked I carried cigarets in my pocket and would go outside on breaks to have a smoke during the school day... this of course continued, in the Navy, then in college then in my carrier as an engineer, husband and father.  At about the  age of 40 my wife quite smoking so the path was set, and it took me at about 5 years to also quit myself.  I have now been smoke free for about 25 years (yep, I'm an old guy - and thanks in part to my quitting smoking).  

I am now faced with the problems of the aging and I am sure I'd have died several years ago had I not quit when I did.

Something that helped me quit was I took on more that stopping smoking, I started to exercise - can't say I did anything to adopt a healthy diet - and from age 45 to 65 I was able to celebrate what I considered a period in which I was not getting older, I was getting better, and indeed I was growing in my physical strength and in my general health.  I took to running (or jogging, about10 minute miles) and that was something that improved over the years until age and heart problems slowed me down.  My heart problem, atrial fibrillation is rather common in the older population and most likely isnt related to my history as a smoker.  

I can't hold my breath for 30 seconds, and if you keep smoking neither will you, I believe.  Here I think my limited ability to swim under water is aggravated by a slight  fear of water, the chicken-and-egg problem, which is cause and which is effect?

Go for it on stopping smoking, it can be done.  Today there are some medical aids I didn't use any myself, but I think my addition was mostly psychological, not physical.  I don't recall any physical withdrawal symptoms, maybe that's one reason I succeeded.   If you have difficult physical withdrawal talk with your doctor about prescription help.

[S_Griff]

Thanks bud! I'm glad to hear of your fathers health. So there's hope for us smokers, but we have to quit first. Lol I just worry about the congestion in my lungs. Thank you for responding it means a lot god bless!

[Jumong]

Don't be scared. My dad used to be a heavy smoker but he quit a long time ago. He's 67 now and healthier than I am.