Can your lungs recover after you quit smoking?

After quitting smoking, the lungs will gradually improve. As for whether they can return to their original state, it depends on the smoker's age, smoking time, etc. But no matter what, as long as you can quit smoking, you will gradually recover your health. If you continue to smoke, the health of your lungs will be more affected. The biggest harm of smoking to the lungs is cilia damage. If you quit smoking, the cilia will gradually restore their original function.

Can your lungs recover after you quit smoking?

The biggest impact of smoking on the lungs is the damage to the cilia. Whether the lungs can recover depends mainly on the recovery of the cilia. (Cilia are hair-like substances in the respiratory tract that filter out dust and impurities, helping the lungs clear mucus.) Secondly, whether the lungs can return to normal after quitting smoking depends on factors such as how long you have smoked, how much you smoke, your age, and whether you have any disease in your body. Furthermore, even if the objective conditions are exactly the same, genes are also a factor that leads to individual recovery.

Everyone's physical condition is different, and the recovery process is also different. However, after quitting smoking, a person's lung condition will recover and improve, and the benefits will definitely outweigh the disadvantages. The normal recovery of a smoker's lungs looks like this:

01. One week after quitting smoking: lung villi regenerate

The cilia in the lungs filter out impurities and prevent infection. A smoker's bronchial tubes begin to relax within 72 hours, and breathing capacity increases accordingly.

02. Three months after quitting smoking: Cilia return to normal

Once the cilia return to normal, they can effectively remove dead and damaged cells. At the same time, bronchial tissue begins to heal. This process usually takes 6-12 months.

03. One year after quitting smoking: lung function improves

Body tissues and cilia will continue to recover after you quit smoking, and lung function will gradually improve.

There is a common misunderstanding among middle-aged and elderly smokers in my country: they believe that if people with long-term smoking habits suddenly quit smoking, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages and may even promote death. However, according to medical research results: after adjusting for important death risk factors such as age, blood pressure, blood lipids, and weight, the overall risk of death for those who successfully quit smoking for two years or more decreases by 56%. The mortality rate from coronary heart disease dropped by 93%.