Can a smoker have both chronic bronchitis and emphysema?

Yes, that's why they are both in the umbrella term COPD. Although these two are different subtypes of COPD, most smokers have a mixture of both because the #1 risk factor is smoking. read more

Yes, it is possible for a person to have more than one Respiratory Illness; even if they never smoked. For example, I have a combination of Emphysema, Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma, and Pulmonary Fibrosis. Note that this a combination of both Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and a Chronic Restrictive Pulmonary Disease. read more

As a result, emphysema sufferers experience shortness of breath and a constant struggle to breathe. Chronic bronchitis is the opposite of emphysema. This condition causes a person’s lungs to become very inflamed. Bronchitis commonly affects the windpipe and passageways of the lungs and is the result of severe irritation or infection. It can be a brief illness, or ongoing (chronic). read more

In fact, most people who have COPD have a combination of both emphysema and chronic obstructive bronchitis. COPD accounts for about 7 per cent of all days off work from sickness and the annual NHS workload for COPD exceeds that for asthma. The most important 'treatment' is to quit smoking – most people who develop chronic bronchitis are smokers. read more