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.
The human body is a healing machine. If you quit while you are healthy, your body can heal from most or all of the damage done by smoking. 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.fter 5 years, your risk of stroke will go down to that of a nonsmoker. After 10 years, your risk of lung cancer will go down by half, and your risk of other smoking-related cancers, like those of the mouth, throat and esophagus, will also decline.