Seventy-two percent of lung cancer cases in the US are linked to tobacco smoking. While this statistic is concerning, the encouraging news is that it’s never too late to quit. Stopping smoking can instantly lower your risk of cancer and set your lungs on the path to self-repair.

If you smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being. It’s a huge accomplishment that deserves to be recognized. 

When you quit smoking, you’ll probably have more energy, a longer life expectancy, and better mental health than when you used to smoke.

When it comes to quitting smoking, one of the most important considerations for many of us is the health benefits it will bring to our lungs. However, you may still be unsure about the effects of stopping smoking on our lungs. Perhaps you’re wondering if our lungs can truly recover from smoking. Or, in other words, can lungs heal after smoking?

Can I Clean My Lungs After I Quit Smoking?

After quitting smoking, you might feel the urge to “clean” your lungs to eliminate the accumulated toxins. Fortunately, your lungs have a natural self-cleaning mechanism that kicks in after you stop smoking.

Your lungs are a remarkable organ system with the ability to heal and regenerate over time. Here’s what happens and what to expect:

Natural Healing Process

Once you quit smoking, your lungs start the process of healing and repairing themselves. This process begins almost immediately but varies depending on the duration and extent of damage caused by smoking.

Types of Permanent Damage

Smoking can cause permanent damage to your lungs, including:

• Emphysema: This condition destroys the small air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, reducing their surface area and impairing oxygen exchange.
• Chronic Bronchitis: This involves inflammation of the smaller airways leading to the alveoli, which obstructs the flow of oxygen.

Together, these conditions are known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). COPD can cause long-term respiratory problems and significantly impact lung function.

What Happens to Your Lungs When You Smoke? 

To understand the impact of smoking on your lungs, it’s helpful to know how they function. When you inhale, air travels through your trachea, which divides into two main bronchi, each leading to one of your lungs. These bronchi further split into smaller airways called bronchioles, which end in tiny air sacs known as alveoli.

When you smoke, you inhale about 600 different compounds, which break down into thousands of chemicals, many of which are known carcinogens. Here’s how smoking affects various systems in your body:

• Heart: Smoking narrows blood vessels, making it harder for blood to circulate oxygen throughout your body, causing your heart to work harder.
• Brain: Nicotine withdrawal can lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
• Respiratory System: Smoking causes inflammation and congestion in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
• Reproductive System: Over time, smoking can lead to infertility and reduced sexual drive.
• Lungs: Your lungs’ airways and little air sacs, known as alveoli, are damaged. At the same time, you’re weakening your lungs’ ability to defend themselves, making them more vulnerable to future harm. Long-term, this diminishes lung capacity and influences lung health, increasing your risk of diseases like lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

 

What is COPD? 

COPD refers to a collection of progressive lung diseases that make it difficult to expel air from the lungs. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two of the most prevalent, and they commonly occur simultaneously. 

Understanding these effects underscores the importance of quitting smoking to improve overall health and lung function.

How do Lungs Heal After Smoking? The Healing Timeline

Short Term

When smokers stop smoking, they can reverse some of the short-term inflammatory alterations in their lungs.

1. Swelling on the lungs’ and airways’ surfaces decreases, and lung cells produce less mucus. New cilia can form, which are more effective at clearing mucus discharges. 

2. Former smokers will discover that they have reduced shortness of breath when they exercise in the days to weeks following stopping. It’s unclear why this occurs, although it may have something to do with removing carbon monoxide from the blood. Carbon monoxide, which is contained in cigarette smoke, can obstruct oxygen transfer by binding to red blood cells in place of oxygen. This could explain why some smokers feel out of breath. 

3. Another reason former smokers have better breathing is that inflammation in the lining of their airways lessens due to the lining no longer being exposed to the chemical irritants in smoke. As a result of the lessened swelling, more air may move through the passages. 

4. Former smokers may cough more in the first few weeks after quitting than they did when they smoked. This, however, is a good thing since it signifies the cilia in the lungs have reactivated, and these fine hairs may now transfer excess mucus discharges from the lungs into the airways and toward the throat, where they can be coughed up. Coughing removes the mucus from the lungs. 

5. He said that stopping smoking has another health benefit: it lowers the chance of lung cancer. Former smokers who go longer without smoking have a lower risk of developing this cancer, albeit the risk never totally goes away. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a former smoker’s chances of acquiring lung cancer are about half that of a smoker ten years after stopping. However, an ex-smoker has a higher risk of lung cancer than someone who has never smoked. 

Long Term

Although the body is capable of healing some of the damage caused by smoking to lung cells and tissues, not all of the harm is reversible. 

Damage to the lungs and a decline in lung function are directly proportional to the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked, a metric known as “pack years.” The long years in the pack, the more probable the lungs may be permanently damaged.

• Although the lungs have protection against injury, long-term exposure to the toxic compounds inhaled from cigarettes reduces these defenses. As a result of the inflammation and scarring caused by smoking, the lungs lose flexibility and cannot exchange oxygen adequately. 

• Smoking for a long time can cause emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). The alveoli, which are responsible for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, are destroyed in this illness. Shortness of breath and trouble breathing are symptoms of COPD. When a person’s lungs are damaged to the extent of emphysema, the airway walls lose their shape and elasticity, making it difficult to push all of the air out. These lung alterations are irreversible and permanent. 

Scientists have now discovered that the damage to airways connected to emphysema begins a few years after a person begins smoking. However, symptoms of the condition may not appear for another 20 to 30 years.

Natural Ways to Support Lung Health

While you can’t undo the damage caused by years of smoking, there are several natural approaches to help improve lung health and prevent further damage:

Coughing

According to Dr. Keith Mortman, a director of thoracic surgery, smokers often have a buildup of mucus in their lungs. Coughing helps expel this excess mucus, unblocking smaller airways and improving oxygen flow.

Exercise

Physical activity is crucial for maintaining and enhancing lung function. Simple exercises, such as walking, can help keep the air sacs in your lungs open, allowing for better oxygen exchange and overall lung health.

Avoid Pollutants

Minimizing exposure to pollutants like secondhand smoke, dust, mold, and chemicals is essential. Research indicates that filtered air can reduce mucus production in the lungs, helping prevent airway blockage. Check local air quality reports before going outside and avoid outdoor activities on days with poor air quality.

Drink Warm Fluids

Staying hydrated supports lung health by keeping mucus thin and easier to expel. Aim for 64 ounces of water daily. Warm beverages, such as tea or broth, can further help in thinning mucus. Green tea, in particular, has anti-inflammatory properties that may benefit lung health. If you prefer, steam therapy—breathing in water vapor—can also help reduce mucus and airway inflammation.

Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods

A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods may help reduce lung inflammation and support overall health. While it might not prevent lung damage, it can be beneficial. Include foods such as:

• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Spinach
• Kale
• Olives
• Almonds

Incorporating these strategies into your routine can support lung health and help you manage the effects of smoking.

Getting Addiction Treatment in the San Francisco Bay Area

Many long-term smokers have probably told you that quitting now is pointless because the damage to their lungs has already been done. This, however, is not the case. 

While some lung damage is irreversible, some are not. Stopping smoking will protect your lungs from additional damage. Alternatively, if you already have COPD, quitting smoking will help to decrease the disease’s progression. 

This means that, regardless of how long you’ve been smoking, the best thing you can do to enhance your health as a smoker is to quit. Quitting remains the best form of therapy you can provide to your lungs for a long-term basis.

If you’re looking for help quitting smoking or doing drugs in Northern California, call Silicon Valley Recovery at 408-547-4089 today. 

FAQs

Can a smoker’s lungs fully recover?

Lung recovery varies with individual factors, such as smoking duration and overall health. Quitting smoking can lead to significant improvements over time. Lung function and health may partially recover, with reduced inflammation and improved cilia function, but some damage, especially from long-term smoking, can be permanent.

What physical changes occur 17 days after quitting smoking?

After 17 days of not smoking, circulation improves, and lung function begins to recover. The body continues to expel mucus and other remnants from smoking. Taste and smell senses become sharper, making food more enjoyable. You might notice breathing becomes easier as lung capacity increases.

Can black lungs turn pink again?

Lungs that have turned black due to smoking or pollution may not fully return to their original pink state. However, quitting smoking and avoiding pollutants can improve lung function and health over time. The body can heal to some extent, but complete reversal of discoloration is unlikely.

Can lung damage from smoking be reversed?

Some lung damage may improve over time if smoking is stopped, as the lungs begin to heal. Quitting smoking can slow the progression of lung disease and improve lung function. However, some damage, such as that from emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may be irreversible. Early cessation is key to maximizing recovery.