How fast do lungs heal after quitting smoking?

[chadizzy1]

From a report by the SG.

"How Quickly Do the Benefits of Quitting Start?"

* "Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and
pulse rate drop to normal and the body temperature of your hands and
feet increases to normal."

* "A mere 8 hours after your last smoke, the carbon monoxide level
decreases and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal."

* "Just 24 hours after your last cigarette, you substantially lessen
your chances of having a heart attack."

* "Two days after your last cigarette, you will notice that your
ability to taste and smell is enhanced."

* "Three days later, your breathing should be noticeably better
because your lung capacity will be greater."

* "Your circulation will improve and your lung functioning will
increase up to 30% within two weeks to three months after quitting."

* "Between one month and nine months, the cilia in your lungs will
regenerate, allowing your body to clean your lungs and reduce
infection."

* "One year after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease is
half that of a smoker."

* "Five years after quitting, your risk of stroke is reduced to that
of a nonsmoker."

* "Ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half
that of a continuing smokers. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat,
esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases."

* "Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of coronary heart disease
is that of a nonsmokers.

[Kenny09]

So, I smoked for 2 years... now I must wait 15 *****ng years to clean my body? :-D

[snusjus]

So, I smoked for 2 years... now I must wait 15 *****ng years to clean my body? :-D

Probably not. The amount of time for your lungs to heal after smoking is dependent several factors, such as: how many cigarettes smoked per day, lung health prior to smoking, and exercise levels. For example, if someone smoked a cigarette once in their whole life, it wouldn't take fifteen years to recover from just one.

[Redbeard]

Fliers have been lying around the break room where I work with this exact list on them. However, I never remember seeing what they base these statistics on from a usage standpoint. A pack/day for 10 years? 2 packs/day for 15 years? 1/2 pack/day for five years? Perhaps I should check the Surgeon General's website.

[justintempler]

* "Between one month and nine months, the cilia in your lungs will
regenerate, allowing your body to clean your lungs and reduce
infection."

Speaking from experience and 38 years of smoking. It took 6 months before I noticed any real improvement. It's still far from what it was when I was younger but it was enough of an improvement to become obvious that my stamina and lung capacity is improving.

[MojoQuestor]

* "Between one month and nine months, the cilia in your lungs will
regenerate, allowing your body to clean your lungs and reduce
infection."

Speaking from experience and 38 years of smoking. It took 6 months before I noticed any real improvement. It's still far from what it was when I was younger but it was enough of an improvement to become obvious that my stamina and lung capacity is improving.

In the last two years +, I quit smoking two packs of Marlboros a day (for over 20 years) for almost four months; started back and reached a pack a day after two months; quit again for nearly three months; started again, but switched to rolling my own, for about 17 months; and then discovered Swedish snus.

(Each time I quit I used the gum. Actually I chewed the gum that whole 25-26 month span, including when I smoked, but dropped it for snus.)

The first span, I really noticed major changes. The usual, things taste better, more energy and stamina, the lack of stink, not having to fool with the things--and I got some of my singing range back.

When I'd go back to smoking, I'd lose a few notes again. I don't have a great range under any circumstances; losing those few notes really hurt.

Tonight while singing harmony I noticed my range has somewhat improved once more. I can definitely tell a difference when I've laid off for at least a couple of months. I believe my band mates can tell, too.

I wonder how long it will continue, if I can go, say, six months or a year without the smoke. It kind of excites me. I don't understand why that wasn't enough for me before, especially after making it so many months.

One silver lining; if I had quit, I probably wouldn't be enjoying snus right now.

edit: this may have more to do with the throat than the lungs. Still, it seems to tie in with healing over time. And both lung capacity and breath support definitely improve.

[MojoQuestor]

[quote="justintempler"][quote]
Posts: 1003

Dude. You crossed 1000. And I missed it.

Congratulations are in order?

[justintempler]

[quote="MojoQuestor"][quote="justintempler"]

Posts: 1003

Dude. You crossed 1000. And I missed it.

Congratulations are in order?

I don't worry about postcounts, I'll leave that to sage and chad :roll:

8)

[chadizzy1]

[quote="justintempler"][quote="MojoQuestor"]

Posts: 1003

Dude. You crossed 1000. And I missed it.

Congratulations are in order?

I don't worry about postcounts, I'll leave that to sage and chad :roll:

8)

haha, thanks.

but i think the people who have been here longer than me and rarely post are more deserving of congrats when they get them. i just have no life.

[sagedil]

[quote="justintempler"][quote="MojoQuestor"]

Posts: 1003

Dude. You crossed 1000. And I missed it.

Congratulations are in order?

I don't worry about postcounts, I'll leave that to sage and chad :roll:

8)

Ummm.... I don't worry about post counts either. Yeah, I noticed when I crossed 5,000. Humans are just wired to notice "milestones"

I have a lot of posts, I have been here a long time, I vowed to welcome others early on in ways I was not when i arrived here. We have had so many newbies over the years, thus I have many posts.

[Ulsterman]

Removed

[spirit72]

Fliers have been lying around the break room where I work with this exact list on them. However, I never remember seeing what they base these statistics on from a usage standpoint. A pack/day for 10 years? 2 packs/day for 15 years? 1/2 pack/day for five years? Perhaps I should check the Surgeon General's website.

It seems that they kinda base these things on an average of a pack a day. It certainly also depends on how long an individual has been smoking.

But it also has to do with how deeply the smoker inhales. Some really inhale deeply. I was never much of an inhaler past about the back of the throat.

I remember when I had my first physical with my current MD, and he was listening to my heat and lungs. He had me breath deeply again and again with his scope at the bottom of my lungs I figured that this couldn't be a good thing. He asked me again how long I'd been smoking and how much. I said I'd been smoking a pack or day, give or take, for about 15 years. He says, "You didn't inhale much, did you?", and I said that I hadn't really.

He said, "I can tell. Not to encourage you, but your lungs sound nice and clear. After about 10 years of smoking with most patients, I can usually start to hear a rattle at the bottom of the lungs."

[Karanya]

My brother's smoker's hack disappeared literally overnight when he quit smoking. For 23 years, he was a 3-pack-a-day smoker of the roughest, cheapest, foulest generic full flavor cigarettes around and inhaled (in his words) "down to his toes".

I think my morning took about five days to disappear completely. I smoked two packs a day of name brand lights for 10 years.

Beyond that, I noticed lung capacity improvement after oh, a couple of weeks maybe?

--K

[captncaveman]

I'm a bit younger than some here, I'm 26 been smoking regularly for 9 years (meaning atleast 1/2 pack a day). Before i quit altogether and hopped head first into snus i had many of physicals due to sports. Not once have i ever told my of my doctors that i was a smoker, and my lungs always checked out to be nice and clear.

With that being said i haven't had much issues with lack of breathe or sick coughing spells like most. Had great blood circulation. The only thing that i have noticed that smoking was affecting was my tolerance to warm climates. The warmer the climate would be the more unbearable it felt. In the last year when the temperature would hit 30 (celcius) it would hinder my breathing, and i would get light headed!

After 2 months smoking temperature doesn't affect me what so ever. In the mornings now i jump rope in my sauna and feel like i could go for ever.

I believe this relates to Ulsterman example of his friend the paratrooper and your lung clearing out quite quickly. Now i also believe if you incorporate cardio and anaerobic exercises this will greatly clear out your lungs.

[simon]

Been off the ciggs for a couple weeks now..
Don't know how long it'll take to heal up, maybe never 100% Been smoking more than 1/2 of my life on earth. So may never be right again. But I can say this, doc said I needed to quit NOW, because I was wheezing, reoccurring respiratory infections, and getting dizzy spells, and I would see those shooting stars, like the kind you see before you pass out, or when you crouch down and then stand up real fast, I would see those, just sitting still, or getting up out of the chair, getting in and out of the car, all that has almost went away 100%. I'm feeling much better, and it's because of snus and dip...
Now one thing at a time.. Ciggs are gone don't even care about them anymore.. Short term mission accomplished, now on to the long term plan of getting rid of all nicotine..
Never would have though of fighting fire with fire, but damn if it aint workin like a charm.