suddenly i couldn't breathe...

[adamo1986]

It happened all suddenly. While just sitting on a sofa and playing game i caughed lightly(i'm a smoker) and couldn't catch a breat after. It passed after 1 minute but i was already on my way to catch a phone and call for ambulance. I didn't feel like my troat was blocked or anything like this - i just tried to breath and couldn't get any air inside. Please advice me what can i do if it happens again and what to do avoid it.
regards
Adam

[David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP]

Cough is certainly a violent act and can cause someone to "have the wind knocked out of them" which is spasm of the diaphragm.  If it recurs and lasts longer that a few seconds you should definitely summon the medics as a rare condition of lung collapse called a spontaneous pnemothorax can occur.  it is easily treated with air drainage.

[adamo1986]

Btw - i'm 25 with no health problems. And this kind of thing happened to me first time in my life...