While increased coughing is a common side effect of smoking cessation, it’s not a given. If you do cough more, please know it’s normal. And if you don’t, know that’s normal too.

Some people who don’t know that it can be normal to cough more, sometimes think, “I quit smoking, and now I’m coughing more? Look what I’ve done to myself by quitting smoking! I was better off smoking!” And then they go back to smoking. No. Don’t do this. It’s important to know why you’re coughing more so that it will make sense.

Cilia are tiny, hair-like structures that line the airways in the lungs. They work as your body’s natural filter. They work together in a coordinated motion to move mucus and debris out of the respiratory tract, helping to keep the airways clear and free from infection.

When you smoke, you need your cilia more than ever. Unfortunately, smoking can damage cilia in a few ways. Firstly, smoking can directly irritate and inflame the airways, leading to chronic bronchitis, a condition in which the airways become inflamed and produce excess mucus. The excess mucus can then clog the airways, impairing cilia function and making it more difficult to clear mucus and debris from the lungs.

Secondly, smoking can also cause changes in the structure and function of the cilia themselves. Smoking can damage the fine, hair-like structures on the surface of the cilia, making them less effective at moving mucus and debris out of the respiratory tract. This damage can also impair the ability of the cilia to regenerate, further contributing to the impaired lung function.

Over time, the damage to cilia caused by smoking can lead to chronic coughing, frequent respiratory infections, and other respiratory problems. However, quitting smoking can help to reduce the damage to cilia and improve lung function over time, allowing the cilia to recover and resume their normal function.

Some people when they quit, start coughing more within a few days. For others it can take a few weeks. And for others, they don’t cough more at all. Every body is different. Literally.

Of course, if you’re concerned at any point in the process, call you doctor and see what he or she thinks.