Can an ex-smoker's lungs regenerate? Find out

A common question among smokers and ex-smokers is whether the lungs can regenerate after a person stops smoking.

This is an important question, as many people want to know if there is any hope of regaining lung health after years of exposure to cigarette smoke.

To understand lung regeneration, it is important to first understand how your lungs work when you smoke:

How do my lungs work when I smoke?

To better understand, let's first review how the lungs work. When you inhale cigarette smoke, it travels through the respiratory tract, passing through the larynx, trachea, and bronchi until it reaches the terminal bronchioles.

These bronchioles end in small sacs called alveoli, where the gas exchange essential for breathing occurs.

Cigarette smoke contains a variety of toxic substances, including soot. When you exhale this smoke onto a white tissue, you can see the yellowish stain left by these particles.

This same soot accumulates in the lungs, where cilia (tiny hair-like structures) try to expel it.

However, over time, hot smoke destroys these cilia, making it harder for secretions to clear, making it harder for the lungs to clear themselves, and causing the cough characteristic of smokers.

Smoking impairs our ability to eliminate the bacteria we breathe in, thanks to a protective layer called the respiratory epithelium. Smoking causes a change called “metaplasia.” This means that the healthy epithelium is replaced by a thick, skin-like layer that resists damage from smoking.

What happens when I stop smoking?

When I quit smoking, the process is reversed. When I quit smoking, my body starts to recover immediately.

In the first few days, the remaining epithelial cells try to recover and begin to produce mucus to clean up what was inhaled during the time you smoked.

You will stop exposing your lungs to irritants, giving your bronchioles a chance to regenerate and your cilia to function properly again.

After months of not smoking, the thick layer that replaced the epithelium begins to slowly regenerate. Mucus production normalizes, chronic bronchitis, caused by constant inflammation of the bronchi due to smoking, begins to disappear, but it can take several months, sometimes even a year, for the lungs to begin to recover.

On average, it takes about five years for your lungs to come close to their best state of repair after you quit smoking. Even if your lungs don’t completely return to normal, they can improve by up to 70%.

See also: Quit smoking: receive free medicine and treatment through the SUS.

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Health improves, but the damage is permanent?

However, although overall lung function improves, the soot microparticles that have already embedded themselves in the lungs cause irreversible damage. This damage, such as the destruction of part of the lung surface, cannot be repaired.

If you smoke for 15 years, a pack a day is enough to cause irreversible damage to your lungs. However, some people are better at resisting cigarettes than others due to genetics.

THE emphysema is one of the worst injuries that smoking can cause. Unlike epithelial regeneration, emphysema results in irreparable damage. Once the lung is affected by emphysema, it never returns to normal.

The lungs have a large internal surface area, which is essential for efficient breathing. Even if some of this surface area is damaged, the lungs still have enough capacity to perform their basic functions.

If you quit smoking, your quality of life may improve significantly, although some damage may remain. However, it is important to know that some damage is permanent and cannot be completely repaired.

How do I know if I'm recovering well?

Quitting smoking is a big step toward improving your health, but how do you know if you're recovering well?

Here are some signs and changes you can watch for to check your recovery:

1. Improved Respiratory Function

One of the first signs of recovery is improved respiratory function. You may notice that you are breathing more easily and effortlessly. Frequent coughing and excessive mucus production may decrease, and your ability to perform physical activities, such as climbing stairs, may improve.

2. Reduced Coughing and Shortness of Breath

If you used to cough a lot and feel short of breath, a reduction in these symptoms may be a good indication that your lungs are recovering. Chronic coughing, which was common when you smoked, should gradually subside.

3. Fewer Respiratory Infections

Smokers are at higher risk for respiratory infections. After quitting smoking, you may notice a decrease in the frequency and severity of these infections, such as colds and flu.

4. Increased Energy

When quitting smoking, many people report an increase in energy and stamina. If you notice that you are more active and less tired when doing daily activities, this may be a sign that your body is recovering well.

5. Improved Sleep Quality

Smoking can affect the quality of your sleep. After quitting, you may notice an improvement in the quality of your sleep and feel more rested when you wake up.

6. Changes in Skin and Appearance

Many ex-smokers' skin improves after quitting. You may notice an improvement in the tone and texture of your skin, which may appear healthier and less dull.

7. Changes in Smell and Taste

Your sense of smell and taste may also improve after you quit smoking. If you’re starting to notice flavors and smells more intensely, this could be a positive sign of recovery.

Smoking is not just a habit, but a drug addiction, and nicotine is one of the most difficult substances to give up.

It's important to remember that the sooner you quit smoking, the better your lungs will be able to recover and the less negative impact it will have in the long term.

Bibliography:

– The effect of schema for smoking on the processing of positive and negative smoking information in smokers, recent ex-smokers, long-term ex-smokers, and never-smokers.
– An ecological view of cigarette smoking.