The lungs are a fragile organ filled with small hair like membranes called cilia, with small passageways and chambers that help to provide oxygen to the body. When oxygen is breathed in it is expelled as carbon dioxide. The cilia helps to filter oxygen from impurities and due to the chemicals in cigarette smoke the cilia cannot perform this function properly in the lungs and it causes damage to these hair like fibers in the lungs.
Smoking also causes the passageways of the lungs to become clogged, between the clogged passages and the damage cilia the cleaning process of the lungs is disrupted and this results in symptoms like coughing. This is often called smokers cough and can eventually cause diseases like COPD and lung cancer due to the toxins from cigarette smoke.
The person that quits smoking will never have the lungs of a non smoker, but the lungs can repair themselves to an extent over time. Once smoking is stopped the use of supplements can help clear the lungs and the smokers cough will then dissipate. If it has reached the extent of causing COPD this cannot be reversed, but it can be treated, as well as lung cancer treatments without more damage being done by tar and other toxins. |