Jane Hodgkin
Cognitive Hypnotherapy
CATARRH BEFORE AND AFTER STOPPING
What causes the catarrh that’s been giving you smokers cough?
Harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the cells lining the windpipe, bronchi and bronchioles (the branches inside the lungs). These cells have tiny hair-like cilia on their surface. With the very first inhalation of smoke, the beating of the cilia slows. With time, the cilia become paralyzed and, eventually, disappear altogether.
Normally the mucus produced by the respiratory tubes traps dirt and disease-causing organisms, which cilia sweep toward the mouth, where it can be eliminated. Smoking greatly impairs this housekeeping and instead you have a build-up of mucus and a smokers’ cough. Your congested lungs favour the growth of the viruses that cause other coughs, colds and flu and later chronic bronchitis and a high risk of emphysema.
A ‘smoker’s cough’ typically occurs mainly in the morning. The cilia had begun to recover during the night and are trying to clear the overnight build-up of toxins and mucus. Your first cigarettes paralyse them again and the cough may stop or be reduced for the rest of the day.
Catarrh after you’ve stoppedNow: let it do its job of healing you!
It is not unusual for people who have given up smoking to experience an increase in production of mucous from the lungs. This occurs over time as the cilia regrow to form the lining of the main breathing tubes, having previously been affected by the smoke.
These cells produce mucous and their little hairs or cilia form an 'escalator' that allows an anatomical clean-up operation to occur, getting rid of a lot of unwanted rubbish from your lungs and allowing them to return towards normal.
This may go on for around 3 months, or for a very small minority even up to 12 –18 months, sometimes longer, depending on the individual.
Welcome this as a sign of your whole respiratory system healing and returning to normal. Now the catarrh can do what it wanted to do all along: rid you of the poisons from the smoking!
Self-help while it heals you
Visualise the great work catarrh is doing as it transports poisons out of your body. Drink plenty of fluids: cold water, fruit juice, tea. Use cough drops or gum to stimulate saliva production.
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