Cleaning your lungs after quitting smoking 
                     Cleaning your lungs after quitting 
smoking
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Yes! This helps get your body to get the oxygen required for all cellular functions.
The critical aspect of a healthy lung is ‘cilia’. They are tiny hairlike organelles that sweep out debris, mucus, and other 
pollutants found throughout your body.
After two weeks to three months, you will witness lung improvement since the cilia present in the lungs takes 1-9 
months to repair.
If you've been smoking for a long time, then you're likely to have tar in your lungs. Reach out to your nearest smoking 
cessation clinic in Vadodara!
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 If your question is: Can I clean my lungs after quitting smoking?
The process of cleansing starts right after you smoke your last cigarette. The speed of recover depends on the damage 
you’ve created. You would be shocked to know that 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood 
pressure return to normal levels. After a month, you will experience a decrease in coughing or shortness of breath, and 
after one year, there will be a dramatic improvement in your breathing and tolerance levels.
Luckily, after five years of your last cigarette, your risk for developing lung cancer is cut in half, as compared to when 
you were smoking.
Ironically, smoking leads to two different kinds of permanent damage to your lungs:
Emphysema: Here, the small air sacs in the lungs known as alveoli get destroyed, decreasing the lung’s surface area. 
This causes trouble in exchanging required oxygen to the body.
Chronic bronchitis: The smaller airways leading to alveoli get inflamed, preventing the oxygen from reaching the 
alveoli.
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Repairing your lungs at the right time can prevent you from several chronic diseases like:
● heart disease
● diabetes
● high blood pressure
● cancer
● chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), etc
Several studies have revealed that cigarette smoke spurs the lungs to make more of the receptor protein, which the 
novel coronavirus uses to enter human cells. Scientists have also claimed that quitting smoking might reduce the risk 
of severe coronavirus infection.
The bottom line is that smoking can cause severe damage to the lungs in the long-term, that may be irreversible. 
Continually smoking can worsen your situation and lead to an increased likelihood of COPD and lung cancer.
According to Medical News Today, after 20 years of quitting smoking, the risk for COPD drops to the same level as if 
you’d never smoked. And after 30 years, the risk of lung cancer also drops to nonsmoking levels. Thus, it takes 
decades for the lungs to heal. The period gets longer, the more you smoke.
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How can you clean your lungs?
Proper diet, breathing and physical exercises can increase your chances of lung repair. Make sure you head to a 
professional lung hospital to get tips, new smoking cessation methods and latest information to help you quit smoking.
   
Do your lungs get better after quitting smoking?
If you’re thinking about natural ways to clean your lungs, then yes you can do it. Remember this that there are no ways to 
reverse scarring or lung damage that you’ve caused. If you’ve already made up your mind to quit, then you need to concentrate 
on preventing further damage and improving lung health.
1. Exercise
Several experts have emphasized the importance of diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Not only this, but physical fitness is also 
a critical aspect of a healthy body and mind. Regular exercise releases endorphins and dopamine, which helps with nicotine 
withdrawal. You can also perform yoga to improve lung function after quitting smoking.
Pro tip: Incorporate more of aerobic activity to boost your lung capacity. Aerobic exercises like running, walking, cycling, 
swimming, boxing, dancing and even Zumba can help you to overcome chronic lung disease.
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2. Try percussion
Chest percussion is a manual technique which involves clapping on the chest or back to loosen the thick, sticky mucus 
from the sides of the lungs. All you need to do is lie down with your head lowered and tapping lightly on your back, 
working from top to bottom.
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3. Coughing
Doctors have claimed that smokers tend to have a lot of mucus built up in their lungs. Regular coughing can unblock all 
those smaller airways and opening them up to get oxygen.
By doing so, you can persist the build-up and flush out all the extra mucus.
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4. Consume warm fluids
As per the American Lung Association, the key to lung health is to drink loads of water, approximately eight 8-ounce 
cups is a must!
This helps in thining your mucus and makes it easier to get rid of it. Get into the habit of drinking warm beverages like 
tea, coffee, broth or even hot water to cause thinning of mucus for easy passage from your airways.
Researches have shown that participants who consumed green tea two or more times per day were less likely to 
develop COPD.
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7. Take steam therapy
It involves inhaling water vapour to thin out mucus and reduce inflammation in the airways. Studies have shown that the 
use of steam masks can significantly improve breathing in COPD and asthma patients.
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Now that you've decided to quit smoking pat yourself in the back for the best decisions you have ever made.
 Pranayam Lung & Heart Institute (PLHI) - the best hospital in Baroda will help you by bringing awareness and help 
patients to quick smoking and tobacco. We look forward to educating you about the health risks of smoking and learn 
how to escape the cycle of quitting and then slipping up and smoking again.
Get acquainted with helpful tips, new smoking cessation methods, and the latest information to motivate you to quit this 
habit. Don't waste any more of your time and money! It's not too late to gain your lungs back and decrease your cancer 
risk, QUIT smoking NOW! Come to the best lung specialist in Vadodara!
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