Dr. Paul Donohue: Pulmonary diseases can be inherited, incorrectly diagnosed

Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife of 55 years died last year from the complications of an illness known as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. In her late 40s, she would become unduly winded doing the polka. After many internist and a few pulmonary specialist visits, all of whom prescribed asthma medicines for her, she persisted with a chronic cough. She finally found a pulmonary specialist who tested her ...