A 35-year-old male presents with a runny nose, cough, and hoarseness for a week. He has a history of heavy smoking. What should be the next steps?
While these symptoms could be due to a common cold, the patient's history of heavy smoking raises concerns about other conditions, such as laryngitis, bronchitis, or even a lung or laryngeal cancer. He should be evaluated for these possibilities, which could involve a chest X-ray, laryngoscopy, or other investigations.