Breathless On Stairs Two Years After Quitting Smoking, Are My Lungs Damaged?

Some breathlessness on stairs can come from being less fit, but a clear change over the past year is worth checking, especially after 20 years of smoking. A morning cough together with breathlessness can be an early sign of COPD (long-term lung damage from smoking) or asthma. Extra weight, low iron and heart problems can also make you breathless.

Quitting smoking was the best step you could take. Stay active with daily walks and build up slowly. Please book a visit with a pulmonologist, who can do a simple breathing test called spirometry and a chest X-ray if needed. Get urgent help if you feel short of breath at rest, have chest pain, cough up blood, or your lips turn blue.