Can u lungs heal back if u stop smoking?!


Question: Can u lungs heal back if u stop smoking!?
I was told that if a smoker stopped smoking, no matter how long he has been smoking for, his lungs would go back to average health in about 5/6 months!. How true is this!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
This is False!. If lungs could heal themselves we wouldn't have as many paople in this world with COPD (the 4th leading cause of death in the US)!. It's not your lungs that heal, its just your body systems returning to normal function!. Your Risk for developing disease decrease the longer you go without smoking!.

Cigarette smoking is the major cause of emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis!.

When exposed to cigarette smoke, the air sacs of the lungs produce defensive cells, called macrophages, which "eat" the inhaled particles!. But macrophages are stimulated to release materials which can destroy the proteins that let the lungs expand and contract, called elastin and collagen!. This thins the walls of the alveoli and causes a decrease in difussion capacity, so your body can't take in as much oxygen!. It also makes the bronchial walls flimsy so they close easier and trap air in the lungs!. This is called Emphysema!.

Cigarette smoke also damages the cilia, tiny hair-like projections in the bronchi that "sweep" foreign bodies and bacteria out of the lungs!. Your lungs aren't able to evacuate mucus so it builds up making you cough all the time!. a cough for 3 consecutive months for 2 consecutive years is defined as Chronic Bronchitis!.

Any damage done to lung Tissue i!.e!. alveolar and bronchiolar walls is permenant, but not untreatable!. Lung tissue does not heal itself!. However your blood levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide does return close to normal depending on how long you smoked and how much damage is done!. There are lots of wonderful medicines that help people manage lung disease and have very productive lives!.

This probably isn't what you wanted to hear, and I'm not trying to discourage you but it is fact!. This is my area of expertise!. Respiratory Therapists are the Lung Health Experts!. Lungs are our Job!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

It is true that your lungs will heal, but never fully and most definetly not in 5-6 months!.

In reality!.!.20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops!.
(Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification, Mahmud, A, Feely, J!. 2003!. Hypertension:41:183!.)

12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal!.
(US Surgeon General



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