Many people who fit this category, primarily smokers over the age of 40, are likely to have chronic bronchitis. The so-called smokers' cough could be an indication of a more serious problem that needs more serious attention.
Chronic bronchitis is mainly a disease of smokers.
The airways in the lung become inflamed and partly clogged with mucous, resulting in difficulty breathing, and potential lung or heart failure. In a general population survey of about 2,000 Canadians aged 18 or older, about one in 10 reported symptoms of a persistent, daily cough with phlegm. Balter is director of the Asthma Education Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. However, the coughing did have an impact on their lives. The problem accounts for an estimated 1.9 million days of lost productivity annually.