In 1945, when Allied forces liberated the concentration camps at Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz and elsewhere, the world was shocked at the sight of images of dead bodies alongside half-dead people in these camps.
Emphysema results when the delicate linings of the air sacs in the lungs become damaged beyond repair. Most commonly, the toxins in cigarette smoke create the damage. The lung changes of emphysema evolve slowly over years: 1  As the fragile tissues between air sacs are destroyed, air pockets in the lungs develop. 2  Air becomes trapped in these spaces of damaged lung tissue. 3  The lungs slowly enlarge, and breathing requires more effort.
Within 72 hours of quitting, your lungs begin repairing themselves, and you will probably start breathing easier and better, as the bronchial tubes in your lungs begin to relax. Between 2 weeks and 3 months after quitting, your circulation improves, and your lung function increases by 30 percent. Your lung function will continue to improve over 9 months as the cilia begin to regrow. By 9 months, smoking-related coughing, congestion and shortness of breath should slow and cease.