Why Do People Cough More When They Quit Smoking? – Explained by a Psychologist

People who have recently quit smoking often complain that they cough more and feel worse than when they smoked. Mathise Hofmans, psychologist and tabacologist at the rookstopafdeling in UZ Leuven, explains in HLN why that is.

“What I always tell people when they want to quit smoking is that their cough can increase. Smoking slightly paralyzes the hairs that move the mucus layer up in the lungs. So they work less well. In addition, you get more mucus and more inflammation, which leads to the so-called smoker’s cough. When you smoke, you create a thick layer of mucus in your lungs, and when you stop, your body and lungs make an effort to get that layer of mucus out of your body. Your body will purify itself, so to speak, precisely because you no longer take in harmful substances. As a result, you start coughing more and you get the feeling that your condition is deteriorating.”

To avoid misunderstandings: you may cough a little more for a while, but you will not die sooner from quitting smoking. Smoking does.

Bron(nen): HLN