Whether you have already decided to quit smoking or you are planning on it, it is a good idea to look at the positive things you can look forward to once you finally put the pack down. Luckily, when it comes to smoking, the benefits to quitting are apparent almost immediately.
Day One of Becoming a Non-Smoker
Twenty minutes after quitting your heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate return to normal levels. After eight hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal, and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal. Once you have reached a full 24 hours, your chance of heart attack has decreased.
Day Two of Quitting Smoking
Nerve endings all throughout your body begin to regrow. Your ability to taste and smell will have returned, and all nicotine in your system will have been processed. Breathing will become easier and your energy levels will stabilize. Cravings will remain intense but you should notice more and more time in between cravings developing.
Week One of Taming Your Addiction
Withdrawal symptoms become very intense, and though physical cravings will be sparse, psychological cravings will be very strong. Luckily your circulation will have improved allowing for better recovery from exercise and better nutrient delivery to aid in wound recovery and the prevention of wrinkles. Your lung function will be greatly improved, the yellowing of your fingers and facial hair will have faded, and your teeth will begin to get whiter.
Month One of Becoming Free of Nicotine
Cilia begin to regrow in the lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection. Overall lung function increases even more. Your overall energy level increases while recovery time from exercise decreases. Overall withdrawal symptoms will be minimal though risk of relapse is still high. Appetite and energy levels increase.
Year One of Staying Clean and Sober
Your risk of having a heart attack is reduced by half. You will have saved an average of $1000 or more so far, and your cravings will have become nothing more than a memory.
Year Five of Remaining True to Your Health
Your risk of dying from lung, mouth, throat and esophageal cancers is reduced by half. Your risk of stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
Year Ten and you are Nearly Completely Healed
Your risk of dying from lung, mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, cervix, pancreas and esophageal cancers has returned to that of a non-smoker. Precancerous cells have been replaced by healthy cells.
Year 15 and Beyond
Your risk of developing coronary heart disease returns to that of a non-smoker.
These milestones are not going to be absolute for everyone. Your ability to recover from being a smoker is dependent on how long you have smoked, how much you smoke a day, and a number of other lifestyle factors. You can speed the process up or slow it down through any number of other habits.
Of course putting down the cigarettes is only the beginning. With choosing to become a more healthy individual, diet and exercise play a crucial role in the strengthening and recovery of your body's tissues and systems. Quitting smoking is a major step, but it definitely isn't the finish line to a healthy lifestyle.
~To Your Longevity!
Sources:
highlighthealth.com "Smoking Cessation Timeline: What Happens When You Quit" (accessed 02/02/2010)
quitsmokingsupport.com "What Are The Benefits of Quitting Smoking?" (accessed 02/02/2010)
Brett Ballard - I am on a mission. A mission to rectify all the wrong I have done to my body for the past 35 years. I want to be able to say at the age of ...
