What Happens When You Quit Smoking?

hand refusing to a pack of cigarettes

What Happens When You Quit Smoking

While it is common knowledge that quitting smoking leads to improved health, you may be wondering what specific changes you can expect in both the short and long term so that you can take the first step towards a smoke-free life. Here is what happens when you quit the deadly habit.

Short-Term Benefits of Quitting Smoking

It doesn’t take long to start experiencing the health advantages of quitting. Within as little as 20 minutes, your heart rate will slow down to a healthy level, and your blood pressure, as well as your pulse, will normalize. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that you inhale when smoking cigarettes; the good news is that within 12 hours of quitting, its level in your blood will return to normal.

Between two weeks to three months, your risk of a heart attack starts to drop and you can notice an improvement in your lung function, making it easier for you to maintain an active lifestyle. And if you’re looking forward to getting rid of that persistent smoker’s cough and shortness of breath that have plagued you since you started smoking, you’ll be glad to know that within one to nine months, you will experience relief from both these ailments.

Long-Term Benefits of Quitting Smoking

When you reach the one-year milestone, there will be plenty to celebrate. Not only will you have conquered your addiction for a full year, but you will also have significantly decreased your risk of a heart attack. Within two to five years, your risk of a stroke could be approximately the same as that of a non-smoker. How is that for an achievement? The five-year mark is also an important time since you will have reduced your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder by half. And by the time you reach the 15-year point, your risk of coronary heart disease becomes the same as a non-smoker!

Many smokers who attempt to quit cold turkey may initially experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as severe cravings, irritability, anxiety, depression, and headaches. E-cigarettes can help relieve those nicotine cravings by delivering nicotine in a less harmful way, so rather than risking a slip or a relapse, you can satisfy both the physical and psychological symptoms with the use of its electronic counterpart. Then you can begin to gradually decrease your nicotine level over time and eventually you can potentially switch to a zero nicotine e-cigarette.

Have you made the decision to quit? If so, will you be quitting cold turkey or using e-cigarettes to help you during the process? Tell us in the comments section below.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *