Anonymous wrote:Could be pneumonia. Please see your doctor asap in any case.
This is my first thought, too, and my dad just died from lung cancer. He had a persistent cough for YEARS and never talked about a heavy feeling. But his lungs felt "heavy" the several times he got pneumonia.
However, go to the doc immediately. The history of smoking may have damaged lung tissue or other things, possibly permanently. My mother is a former smoker, and she was diagnosed with colon cancer within months of my father's cancer diagnosis. The docs are pretty sure her smoking history is what caused the colon cancer. She is very healthy today. The two things she had going for her is that she was a "former" not current smoker, and that she got regular screening exams and good health care. If something is wrong, finding it early can help tremendously. Best wishes.