Some patients have even quit smoking several years before symptoms appear. The main reason is that lung function declines slowly with age, even in a nonsmoker. Because the lungs have a considerable amount of reserve, a large portion must become nonfunctional before symptoms occur. It can take more than 30 years to lose enough lung function to experience symptoms. When a person quits smoking, the loss in function slows to approximately the rate of a nonsmoker.
Quality of life can improve by quitting, even if lung function has already declined.
Back to top Chronic Cough Chronic cough typically begins as a morning cough and slowly progresses to an all-day cough. Sputum production decreases when one quits smoking. The progression of the cough's frequency is so slow that a person usually tolerates it for a couple of years before seeing a doctor. Any change in a chronic cough or a new cough in a smoker or patient with COPD should be thoroughly evaluated by a physician. Wheezing Wheezing is the high-pitched sound of air passing through narrowed airways.