Question about lungs?

[orangeman]

Now before I ask this question I just wanna make it clear this thread has nothing to do with me. I don't have any concerns, this is just a question that I have been wondering for a while...obviously because I don't know the answer lol. But anyways I was wondering does our lungs have the ability to heal? Like if there is tar or just damage done from smoke does lungs just permanently suffer from the damage or does it eventually heal or get better?

[BioSci]

Well from what I understand is that lungs do have a capacity to repair damage (unless its caused by some synthetic chemicals, or like such things as tiny particles from fibers or vermiculite or zonolite).

They say heavy cigarette smokers can expect to have their lungs return to normal after 5 to 10 years after they quit smoking.

[birdgirl73]

I don't know that answer, sweetie. I know in autopsied lungs of long-time smokers, the tar deposits are there (from years of cigarette smoking, that is), but I'll need to ask one of my professors if the tar goes away if you quit smoking for long enough. . . . I'm not sure that it does.

[slipknotpsycho]

i think i remember the answer to this, don't remember where i heard it, but your lungs have the ability to repair themselves to a certain extent, of course if you're a smoker, you're going to do damage to your lungs, and they're never going to be as clean and healthy as they were before, but if you quit smoking, they will get alot better then their current state.