I often tell my patients that what’s really choking their lungs isn’t age… or even smoking damage. And every time, I get the same look. Wide eyes. Raised eyebrows. That “You mean it’s not because I smoked?” face. And honestly? I get it. It sounds too simple. But after decades of studying how the lungs heal themselves — and helping hundreds of patients who were stuck coughing, wheezing, and gasping — I’ve learned the truth most doctors overlook. If you’re constantly coughing, waking up congested,