According to experts, your lungs have an almost "magical" potential to heal some of the damage caused by smoking, but only if you stop smoking. The mutations that cause lung cancer are thought to be irreversible and to continue long after smoking cessation. Other diseases associated with smoking, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are also considered permanent unless treated. In general, the damage done to your body by smoking is called "smoke damage." It can affect nearly every part of your anatomy. The more frequent you smoke, the more damage you do to your organs over time. Smoking also causes blood vessels to narrow, which limits oxygen flow to parts of the brain and other tissues. This effect is especially noticeable in people who have cerebrovascular disease (CVD), such as stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Smoking also increases your risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancers of the mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, larynx, lung, uterine body, and ovary. If you're a smoker, think about how you could prevent further damage to your lungs. You may want to consider quitting now before any serious illness develops.