Stop smoking – the benefits over time

 

When you give up smoking, your body starts going through good changes right away! Let’s take a quick look at some changes based on information from the American Cancer Society.

AFTER:

20 minutes

• Your blood pressure drops to a normal rate for you.
• The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.

8 hours

• The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• The oxygen level in your blood goes up to normal.

24 hours

• Your chance of a heart attack goes down.

48 hours

• Nerve endings start re-growing.
• Ability to smell and taste begins to improve.

2 weeks to 3 months

• Your circulation improves.
• Walking gets easier.
• Your lungs perform up to 30 percent better.

1 to 9 months

• There’s less coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness, and shortness of breath.
• Cilia (tiny hairs) re-grow in your lungs to better handle mucous, clean your lungs, and reduce infection.

1 year after quitting

• Your extra risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

5 to 15 years

• Your stroke risk goes down to that of a nonsmoker.

10 years after quitting

• The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a person who still smokes.
• Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas goes down.

15 years after quitting

• Your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.