Lung function improves two weeks to three months after the last cigarette. During the first year after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease, and the lungs become better cleaned to reduce the risk of infection. After quitting smoking, the lungs slowly begin to heal and regenerate. The speed at which they heal depends on how long you have smoked and the extent of the damage.
Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. The tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) that move mucus out of the lungs begin to regain their normal function, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clear the lungs and reduce the risk of infection. In general, some of the short-term inflammatory changes in the lungs can be reversed when people stop smoking, Edelman said.
In other words, inflammation decreases on the surface of the lungs and airways, and lung cells produce less mucus, he said. New cilia can grow, which better clear mucus secretions, he added. The lungs have an almost magical ability to repair some of the damage caused by smoking, but only if you stop smoking, scientists say. Lung improvement begins within two weeks to three months.
Tens of millions of Americans have quit smoking. The benefits of quitting smoking, regardless of age, are prodigious. The risk of heart disease and stroke plummets. So does the risk of lung cancer, as well as cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, cervix and pancreas.
But can the damage caused by smoking be completely eliminated? Norman Edelman, medical director of the American Lung Association, explains. Of course, the way people react to cigarette smoke varies enormously. Everybody has a 90-year-old uncle who has smoked all his life and is fine. And everyone has a 45-year-old cousin who is dying of emphysema.
These two people have reacted to cigarette smoke differently. It is an important scientific question to understand what the differences are, and we are starting to work on that. Genetics seems to play a role. Importantly, although this group of patients had immediate relief of symptoms, they did not see any change in their overall lung health after quitting vapour.
While there is no quick fix to get the lungs back to the way they were before they started smoking, there are things that can be done to help the lungs repair themselves after smoking the last cigarette. Other effects, such as the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease and lung disease, take years to decline to the levels of a non-smoker. As a result, lung tissue can become inflamed and scarred from smoking, so that the lungs lose elasticity and can no longer exchange oxygen effectively. As the lungs heal and lung capacity improves, ex-smokers may notice less coughing and shortness of breath.
Over time, by abstaining from smoking, secondhand smoke and any other lung pollutants such as vaping or poor air quality, the lungs will begin to heal themselves. Damage to the lungs and deterioration of lung function is directly related to the number of packets of cigarettes a person typically smokes per day multiplied by the number of years they have smoked, a measure known as pack years, Edelman said. Cigarette smoke can have wide-ranging effects on the body's health, and the lungs and airways are two of the areas most affected. If your cilia are paralysed, you are more at risk of developing lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and lung cancer.
But this is a good thing; it means the cilia in the lung are active again, and these fine hairs can now move excess mucus secretions from the lungs into the airways and down the throat, where they can be expelled, Edelman said. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a teaspoon of honey taken daily can provide many health benefits, including the removal of pollutants from the lungs. While diet, breathing exercises and physical exercise can help repair lung damage and promote lung health, the bottom line is that smoking (especially long-term) causes serious damage to the lungs, which may be irreversible. The lung on the left is damaged by smoking, but after a few weeks without tobacco, the lungs begin to repair themselves.
This damage causes tar and other pollutants to build up in the lungs, which can lead to discolouration and blackening of lung tissue. Once a person's lungs are damaged to the point of emphysema, the walls of the airways lose their shape and elasticity, making it difficult to expel all the air from the lungs. Yes, it is possible to remove tar from the lungs using natural remedies to help the lungs heal after smoking.
