The instructions are short. But specific. No bronchodilators. No smoking. No exercise. Just rest. It feels strange ignoring your inhaler. But that’s what they say. You check again. It’s in bold. You want to sleep. But the tightness creeps in. Quiet and slow. Breathing becomes something you suddenly notice more Your chest rises. Then falls.…
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A scratch in the throat. A cough that stays too long. You blame it on the weather. Or maybe the cold you caught weeks ago. But it’s still there. Always somewhere between mild and annoying. Then it lingers past mornings. Into conversations. Into silences. You try to clear your throat. You drink more water. Nothing…
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The fever faded. The congestion cleared. But the cough stayed. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just there. A small sound in the back of your throat. It followed you from room to room. You noticed it most at night. Then during meetings. Then while resting. You noticed it most at night You told yourself it was…
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You pause in the afternoon. You sit. You try to rest. But your breath rushes ahead. You’re not panicking. You’re not moving. Still, air feels thin. Not gone—but not present either. You shift in your seat. The feeling follows. Not gone—but not present either You breathe in. It catches. You breathe out. It’s shallow. You…
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You climb the stairs. You pause halfway. Your chest tightens. You say it’s nothing. But it happens again. And again. Your breath shortens. Not from running. Not from panic. Just from trying to keep up with ordinary movement. Your chest tightens. You say it’s nothing You take breaks you didn’t need before. You walk slower.…
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It begins like every allergy. Your eyes itch. Your throat scratches. You sneeze, once, then twice. You think it’ll pass. Then your breath shortens. Your chest feels smaller. Like it’s folding in on itself. You pause. It keeps tightening. Like it’s folding in on itself You’ve had allergies before. But this is different. It doesn’t…
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It came back, soft at first.You cleared your throat. Blamed the air. The weather. The dust.But it stayed. Stayed longer than comfort. Lingered like a question without an answer.You said nothing. Just drank more water.Maybe it’s nothing. But maybe not. The tired isn’t from running—it’s just there You slept. Yet still, your limbs drag behind…
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It used to happen in the background. Breathing. Without effort. Without thought.But now, your chest feels full before your lungs do.A yawn doesn’t stretch as far.You lean back and realize you’re doing it to inhale deeper.Like your body’s trying to remember something it once did on autopilot.A pause begins to follow each breath.You don’t talk…
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You don’t think about your lungs until they ask to be noticed. Until breathing stops being background. Until each inhale feels monitored. You sit, not from tiredness—but from something unnamed. The silence in your chest feels different. Not pain. Not sharp. But present. And it stays. Not every breath should need permission. When the body…
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As a pulmonologist, I’ve seen countless patients come in with what they thought was a minor cough, only to discover it was a symptom of a more serious condition. It’s essential to understand that not all coughs are the same. They can be caused by a variety of factors, and recognizing the underlying issue is…
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