Can your body start to heal itself, even after 30 yrs of smoking?

Not really: After you quit smoking, your risk of various cancers decreases and you can regain some lung function with exercise and healthy habits. However, the effects of long-term smoking like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema are permanent. Treatment can help alleviate symptoms, but they do not cure these conditions.

Yes: The body has near-miraculous ability to heal once we stop damaging it. Even after 50 years, some reversal of damage can occur, and more importantly, further damage will stop. What is irreparably damaged (like emphysema) cannot be reversed, but risks of heart disease and cancer begin to go down within months of stopping. It is never too early or too late to stop smoking. Get help if needed!