This post was written by Rakeshkumar Subramanian, MD.
As a pulmonologist, I witness firsthand how profoundly smoking harms the respiratory system, and how dramatically the body can recover after quitting.
The dangers
Smoking introduces more than 7,000 chemicals into the lungs, including dozens of proven carcinogens. Long-term smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, stroke and multiple other cancers.¹⁻³ It also weakens the immune system and increases susceptibility to infections.²
In the lungs, cigarette smoke triggers chronic inflammation, airway remodeling and the destruction of alveoli. These changes lead to chronic cough, mucus hypersecretion, wheezing and progressive shortness of breath. COPD, the result of irreversible airway obstruction, is overwhelmingly caused by smoking.⁴ Early warning signs include persistent cough, frequent bronchitis, reduced exercise tolerance, unexplained weight loss, coughing up blood and new onset wheeze.
Benefits of quitting
There is no safe level of cigarette smoking. Even low-intensity or intermittent smoking significantly increases cardiovascular and cancer risk.³ Cigars and other tobacco products are not safer alternatives; they contain similar toxic compounds and are linked to cancers of the lung, oral cavity, throat and esophagus, as well as cardiovascular disease.³
The benefits of quitting begin within minutes. Within 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pressure decline; within 24 hours, carbon monoxide levels normalize.⁵⁻⁶ Over the following weeks to months, circulation improves, coughing and wheezing decrease, and measurable lung function can improve by up to 10%.⁷ Long-term, the risk of heart attack, stroke, COPD progression and lung cancer decreases substantially. Even quitting later in life adds years of life expectancy.⁸
Ready to quit?
Effective cessation support includes telephone quitlines, behavioral counseling and FDA-approved medications such as nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion and varenicline.⁹ Evidence consistently shows that combining counseling with pharmacologic therapy yields the highest quit rates.
Quitting smoking—fully and permanently—is one of the most impactful health decisions a person can make. Parkview offers Freedom from Smoking®, a free program developed by the American Lung Association® to help you quit smoking. Make the call and get started today!
Sources
- U.S. Surgeon General. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress (2014).
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smoking and Immune Dysfunction.
- National Cancer Institute. Harms of Cigarette Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitting.
- World Health Organization. Tobacco and COPD.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Benefits of Quitting Smoking—Timeline.
- American Lung Association. Health Benefits of Quitting.
- Early Lung Function Improvement Research After Smoking Cessation.
- CDC. Long-term mortality reduction after smoking cessation.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Tobacco Smoking Cessation Guidelines.
