Twenty Minutes After You Quit
When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.
At 20 minutes after quitting:
- blood pressure decreases
- pulse rate drops
- body temperature of hands and feet increases
- At 8 hours:
- carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- oxygen level in blood increases to normal
- At 24 hours:
- chance of a heart attack decreases
- At 48 hours:
- nerve endings start re-growing
- ability to smell and taste is enhanced
The first year after quitting:
- At 2 weeks to 3 months:
- circulation improves
- walking becomes easier
- lung function increases
- 1 to 9 months:
- coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
- 1 year:
- excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
- Long-term Benefits of Quitting
At 5 years:
- from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
- At 10 years:
- risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
- risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
- risk of an ulcer decreases
- At 15 years:
- risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
- risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoke
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