What causes shortness of breath?
Patient: I am 28 years old with a history of irregular smoking cigarettes, maybe 1 per day on and off with nothing regular, and a history of marijuana smoking, regular for 10 years but discontinued now. I have not had shortness of breath until recently. I kissed a girl who went to an urgent care clinic earlier that day complaining of shortness of breath. She was told it was asthma and it was not contagious. We kissed, and a couple of days later, I have developed shortness of breath. My doctor prescribed me a z-pack, an inhaler, and asked for a chest x-ray. The chest x-ray revealed what the radiologist called mild pulmonary hyperinflation otherwise negative chest x-ray When I look this up, it says COPD and emphysema, and my doctor referred me to a pulmonologist. I had a chest x-ray about a month and a half before this to check for TB for a health screening to enter China, which I will do next month. No TB and no comments about hyperinflation. My symptoms started after I kissed this girl. I m still experiencing shortness of breath or the feeling that I m not getting enough air in. Doctor: Thanks for your question on HCM. In my opinion you are having chronic bronchitis.  It is caused by smoking and marijuana. And cause shortness of breath.Chest x ray can be normal in early stage.And kissing can not cause this. But by kissing viral infection can spread and this can exacerbate bronchitis.So better to consult pulmonologist and get done PFT (Pulmonary Function Test).PFT is must for diagnosis of chronic bronchitis. It will also give you idea about severity. And treatment is depending apon severity of the disease.So consult pulmonologist and get done PFT.