Repair your body when you stop smoking

stethoscope, heart sign and cigarettes

the health benefits when you quit smoking

For many smokers, the idea of quitting combustible cigarettes often comes to mind, but the battle of nicotine withdrawal and the fear of unreversed damage to the body often stops them from making this life changing decision. However, the human body is actually quite remarkable in its ability to mend the damage caused by smoking tobacco. Whether you’ve smoked for one year or 25 years, the health benefits when you quit smoking are endless. From the minute you stop, your body begins its efforts to repair the damage.

What happens to your body the moment you quit smoking?

The human body is incredibly resilient to the damage that is caused by smoking. From the moment you decide to throw out your combustible cigarettes, your body begins its rehabilitation process.

The benefits of quitting begin almost instantaneously — in as little as 20 minutes your body’s heart rate slows down, your blood pressure drops and your blood circulation improves. After 12 hours, your carbon monoxide levels return to normal, allowing you to breath better. Subsequently 24 hours later, your risk of having a heart attack decreases, your cholesterol is lowered and the dangers of developing coronary disease are drastically reduced.

What happens to your body a few months after you quit smoking?

The fact that you’ve remained tobacco-free for a few months is a huge accomplishment.

At this point, you’ll begin to feel an overwhelming amount of strength return to your body. Your risk of heart disease has now been chopped in half — this will continue to drop over time — while your lungs have been given a chance to significantly heal themselves. That extreme shortness of breath you once experienced going up stairs has now subsided and you’ll have likely overcome the worst part of your nicotine withdrawal.

Yet, if you’re finding that your strides after a few short months are seemingly slower, that’s okay because everyone’s body heals at its own pace. Many ex-smokers use the help of electronic cigarettes as a way to slowly wean themselves off of their nicotine addictions — vaping e-juices that are available in various nicotine concentrations, including zero nicotine.

What happens to your body years after you quit smoking?

The health benefits when you quit smoking become the most noticeable after years of smoke-free living.

After only 5 years, your chances of having a stroke or being diagnosed with cervical cancer are now the same as a non-smoker and you’re half as likely to develop various forms of cancers — mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder. 10 years after you quit cigarettes you’ll be half as likely to develop lung cancer, while after 15 years your chances of getting a form of heart disease are now the same as if you had never taken a puff of tobacco.

By making the choice to quit smoking, you’ll reap the benefits to your health. Your body will work hard to heal itself, owing a lot of its success to strong willpower, an endless support system, smoking cessation tools and a desire to live a smoke-free life.

Tell us about your journey to quit smoking in the comments section below.

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