What happens to your lungs after quitting smoking cigarettes?

Quitting smoking cigarettes can have a profoundly positive impact on the health of your lungs. Within 20 minutes after quitting, your heart rate and blood pressure will drop to normal levels. After 12 hours, the level of carbon monoxide in your body will go back down to normal levels.

Within 2 weeks to 3 months, your lung function increases by up to 30% as cilia (tiny hair-like structures in the airways) start working again and removing mucus and toxins from the lungs more effectively. After 1 year, coughing and shortness of breath significantly decrease as overall lung capacity improves from an increase in oxygen intake.

Finally, after 10 years of being cigarette smoke-free, you reduce your risk for developing chronic lung diseases such as COPD or emphysema by 50%. That's why quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for improving both short-term and long-term lung health!