absolutely terrified

[iluvdyl13]

Hi I have had quite a bad dry cough for a month now im a 22 yr old smoker im also having chest and back pains an im convinced it's lung cancer im so scared cas I hav a 4 month old and im a single mother and im so scared of dying and leaving my baby it's got to the point where im seriously depressed every day went to doctors and got antibiotics but still have this awful cough :( help

[nomorepanic]

Doctor's are very good at diagnosing lung cancer early on so I would say it was just a chest infection of some kind but you need to trust your doctor on this one and follow their advice.

[Uncertain27]

The chances of you having lung cancer at 22 are extremely low however much you smoke. I remember an anti-smoking advert talking about how unlucky a woman was to get it at her young age, and she was 37! Chest infections can last a while if you smoke or are run down (you said you have a 4-month-old so I bet you get up in the middle of the night, and have done for a while?)

[Mr m anxious]

Absolutely agree with uncertain, your run down and smokers like myself take longer to recover from chest infections. If you had lung cancer youd probably be coughing up blood. See your doctor again and ask for chest x ray if it still persists but don't worry you'll be fine. Can somebody babysit for you to enable you to get some much needed rest?

[Anxious_gal]

Smoking is a big part of the problem, it can make you get coughs more easily and itll take longer to heal.
Also of you stop smoking you will get a cough too as the body tries to clear all the tar that's built up in your lungs.