This document discusses ex-smokers' cough, which is the persistent cough some smokers experience after quitting cigarettes. It explains that this cough occurs as the cilia in the lungs regenerate after being damaged by smoking and work to clear toxins out of the lungs through coughing. While the cough can be severe, it is temporary and a natural part of the body's healing process after smoking. The document provides tips for soothing the cough like staying hydrated, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising. It concludes by emphasizing that the cough will subside within a few weeks as the lungs continue to heal.

1. Coughing after Quitting
Cigarettes
By
http://2stopsmokingtips.com

2. Introduction
• In his book, Everyman’s Guide to Perfect
Health, S.N. Khosla describes smokers’ cough
as dry, occurring in the early hours of the
morning and disappearing after smoking
cessation. This cough is said to be caused by
excessive smoking and most (not all) smokers
experience it.

3. What is Ex-Smokers’ Cough?
• In this article, I’m not discussing smokers’ cough
at all. Rather, I’m discussing the persistent cough
smokers experience after dropping off cigarettes.
With your kind permission, I’ll call it ex-smokers’
cough.
• “If smokers cough because of their exposure to
cigarette smoke, why do I cough after quitting
smoking?” This, essentially, is the question this
article will attempt to answer in the lines below.

4. Is it Possible for Smokers to Experience Persistent
Cough after Nicotine Cessation?
• Yes it is and Charles Frederick Schafer, a retired
surgeon corroborates this in his book titled
“Health and Humor”. According to him, “don’t be
surprised if you continue to cough after you quit
smoking. It’s even likely to get worse! And that’s
because the smoke has an expectorant effect
(loosens the gunk in the tracheobronchial tree so
it can be coughed up more easily). But don’t
worry. In about six months time, it will go away if
you haven’t suffered permanent lung damage or
lung cancer or become a recidivist.”

5. So, why do I cough after quitting
cigarettes?
• Smoking cigarettes no doubt exposes the body to huge
health risks. One of the body organs on the receiving
end when it comes to tobacco damage are the cilia, the
hair-like projections that line up the airways from our
nose to the lungs. Their job, basically, is to rid the lungs
and the airways of toxins and impurities. They sweep
these impurities out 24 hours, 7 days a week and 465
days a year. But smoking hampers their operations. It
renders them ineffective. This is because the tar,
nicotine and other dangerous elements from cigarette
smoke cover up the cilia and prevent them from
functioning normally.

6. So, why do I cough after quitting
cigarettes?(2)
• Smoking cigarettes no doubt exposes the body to huge
health risks. One of the body organs on the receiving
end when it comes to tobacco damage are the cilia, the
hair-like projections that line up the airways from our
nose to the lungs. Their job, basically, is to rid the lungs
and the airways of toxins and impurities. They sweep
these impurities out 24 hours, 7 days a week and 465
days a year. But smoking hampers their operations. It
renders them ineffective. This is because the tar,
nicotine and other dangerous elements from cigarette
smoke cover up the cilia and prevent them from
functioning normally.

7. So, why do I cough after quitting
cigarettes?(3)
• Immediately you quit smoking, the cilia begin a
regenerative process. Joel Spitzer says Cilia
regeneration and growth begins about 3 days
after smoking cessation. The human body has an
amazing ability to heal itself; same for the cilia. As
the cilia start growing, they start functioning by
cleaning out the lungs and the only way to get
the impurities, toxins and mucous occasioned by
several years of smoking is through coughing. It’s
the body’s way of flushing out all the toxins and
poisons that have accumulated in it as a result of
smoking.

8. So, why do I cough after quitting
cigarettes?(4)
• It’s therefore normal to cough persistently and
produce an increased amount of sputum or
phlegm after giving up smoking but the good
thing is, it is temporary and common to most
smokers. It’s a natural process which shouldn’t
elicit any form of worry but if it becomes too
persistent, you might want to check with your
physician to make sure you don’t have any
respiratory or tract infection. See your doctor
immediately if you see blood in your sputum or if
you experience noisy breathing or shortness of
breath.

9. Can this Persistent and Awful Cough
Affect Smoking Cessation?
• No. And a study titled “Cough following
Initiation of Smoking Abstinence” agrees with
this assertion. In a study which involved 176
subjects, Warner David and his colleagues
concluded that an initial upsurge in cough is
not likely to arise among relatively healthy
smokers who cease smoking and that
alterations in cough cannot stop most smokers
from sustaining abstinence.

10. Coughing As a Nicotine Withdrawal
Symptom
• Nicotine withdrawal symptoms or signs are
those feelings or experiences you have after
smoking abstinence. They include anxiety,
nausea, insomnia, helplessness, loneliness,
etc. Coughing is definitely one of them and all
the symptoms are temporary. They disappear
with the passage of time and as the body
experiences healing from many years of
tobacco damage.

11. Soothing the cough that arises as a
result of kicking the smoking habit
• Because of the persistent and itchy nature of the
cough, it needs to be controlled and you can
achieve that by consuming plenty of fluids,
including hot tea and honey to soothe the throat
and keep the body hydrated, licking hard
mints/candies and chewing gum that make the
mouth produce more saliva to moisten the throat
as well as steering clear of contact with air
pollutants such as smoke, dust or others as they
may worsen your cough.

12. Soothing the cough that arises as a
result of kicking the smoking habit(2)
• Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables
including lemon, cucumber and carrots.
They’ll also help and greatly too.
• Also throw in moderate exercise and you have
a winning formula for coping with this awful
cough.
• If you feel you need a cough drop or
expectorant, you can get over the counter at
your local pharmacy or consult your doctor.

13. Conclusion
• Whatever happens, just hang in there. You will
be amazed at how much better you will feel in
a matter of weeks. It’s well worth it. It’s worth
the battle; you sure will get over it! But, if you
feel stressed up or irritable, check out highly
effective stress relief tips during smoking
cessation.

14. References
• “Health and Humor”; Charles Frederick
Schafer, M.D.; 2008
• “Everyman’s Guide to Perfect Health”; S.N.
Khosla; 2006
• “Cough following Initiation of Smoking
Abstinence”; Warner D.O et al; Nicotine Tob
Res. 2007 Nov; 9 (11):1207-12.
• “How to Control Coughing When Quitting
Smoking”; Kigerani Po; eHow Contributor

15. Thanks for Reading!!!
• For more incisive articles, please visit:
• http://2stopsmokingtips.com