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 Changes and benefits when you quit smoking
Within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette, the body begins a
series of changes that continues for years.
20 Minutes
- Blood pressure drops to normal.
- Pulse rate drops to normal.
- Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
8 Hours
- Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal.
- Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
24 Hours
- Chance of heart attack decreases.
- Your cardiac function improves, resulting in better circulation to your hands and feet and better fine motor coordination.
48 Hours
- Damaged nerve endings start regrowing.
- Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
2 Weeks to 3 Months
- Circulation continues to improve.
- Stamina improves and walking becomes easier.
- Lung function increases by up to 30%.
1 to 9 Months
- Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease.
- Cilia (small hairs in the lung that have been deadened by smoke) will begin to regenerate, increasing your body's ability to handle mucus, to clean the lungs, and to reduce infection.
- Body's overall energy increases.
1 Year
- Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
5 Years
- Lung cancer death rate for average smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half.
- Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
- Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker's.
10 Years
- Lung cancer death rate now similar to that of nonsmokers.
- Precancerous cells are replaced with normal cells.
- Risk of other cancers such as cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
15 Years
- Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker.
Other Improvements
- More oxygen reaches your brain and other parts of your body.
- Your breath, your clothes, and your home all smell better.
- You no longer contribute to secondhand smoke, a serious health hazard to others.
- Your skin ages more slowly.
- You feel good about yourself and proud of your accomplishment.
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