Quitting smoking is always favourable because cigarettes create more than 7000 chemicals when burned. More than 70 chemicals out of those are known to cause cancer.
When you quit smoking, carbon monoxide gradually leaves your bloodstream and eases symptoms like difficulty in breathing.
Nicotine that is present in cigarettes, creates a chemical dependency so that the body develops a need for a certain level of nicotine at all times.
Quitting smoking means breaking the habit and directing the brain to stop craving nicotine. You will also have to inculcate healthy habits in order to flush out the toxins and help your body fight the cravings.
As astonishing as it sounds, our body has the ability to heal itself after as little as half an hour of quitting smoking.
In this article, you will learn about what changes take place in your body at different time intervals once you quit smoking.
1. 20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette
In the mere duration of 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse levels start to drop and your body starts returning to its normal temperature.
2. 12 Hours After Your Last Cigarette
By the time you complete 12 hours since your last cigarette, levels of carbon monoxide inside your bloodstream drop and the oxygen level start to come to normal.
The increased oxygen nurtures the blood vessels and tissues that were getting less oxygen due to the presence of carbon monoxide.
During the first 12 hours, it’s likely to have a craving for nicotine. You can overcome this by distracting yourself with chewing gum, sipping water, playing games, and more.
3. 1 Day After Your Last Cigarette
By completing a whole day of curbing your craving for nicotine, you have lowered your chances of a heart attack.
The nicotine level in your bloodstream has decreased down to a minor amount by this time.
In this short period, your oxygen levels will have risen making it easier for you to breathe and exercise.
4. 2 Days After Your Last Cigarette
In the span of 48 hours, your damaged nerve ending begins to heal and regrow. You will experience a better sense of smell and taste which went down due to smoking.
Your body also begins will the cleanup by this time. Your lungs drive out the mucus and dirt left from cigarettes and free you of all the nicotine that was present in your body.
This is also the time when you will feel anxious, dizzy, and tired. You might feel depressed and low and experience headaches.
You just have to stick to the plan and fight these feelings to make yourself healthy again.
5. 1-2 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette
Within 2 weeks after your last cigarette, your lung function increases by 30 per cent.
You will not only experience ease in breathing but also walking because of the improvement in circulation and oxygenation.
Even so, you will still get cravings. Try meditation or taking deep breaths for 10 minutes a day.
6. 1 Month After Your Last Cigarette
In as little as 1 month, your lungs begin to function better. You will feel more energetic and optimistic than you used to.
In addition to this, the fibres in your lungs will start to regrow which will reduce excess mucus buildup and protect your lungs against bacterial infections.
You will notice less coughing and shortness of breath.
7. 3-6 Months After Your Last Cigarette
In the duration of 3-6 months, you will be able to handle stressful events better.
You will also notice less mucus and phlegm in your cough and your airways will start getting clear without the exposure to smoke and chemicals from the cigarette.
The circulation in your body improves remarkably.
8. 9 Months After Your Last Cigarette
Around this time, you will notice the frequency of lung infections, colds, and other illnesses have decreased by a significant number.
You will feel energetic and no longer feel for a need for cigarettes.
Your lungs will heal and you will no longer have a difficulty in breathing and you will notice less coughing than how it was when you used to smoke.
9. 1 Year After Your Last Cigarette
After a year, your risk of heart disease has reduced by half. Your lungs will experience a tremendous improvement in functioning and capacity.
Treat yourself for reaching a milestone.
Noticing the many health benefits of quitting smoking, you should pledge to never smoke a cigarette again under any circumstance, no matter how stressful the situation might be.
10. 3-5 Years After Your Last Cigarette
Your chances of heart attack are the same now as that of a nonsmoker.
The risk of cancer of the mouth, lungs, throat, oesophagus, and bladder has reduced by half and will keep decreasing along the coming years.
Along with this, here are a few steps you can take to detox your lungs. Drink more and more water to help the body rid of toxins and other carcinogens.
Change your diet, consume less salt and sugar-containing food articles, and increase your intake of nutrient-rich foods.
Learning and performing Yoga for 30 minutes a day will help you learn breathing techniques that open up the lungs.
Your lungs are a vital organ and it is your responsibility to take care of them to lead a healthy and long life. As little as a puff of cigarette can hamper its functions.
Stopping this habit takes a lot of courage and time. But you having the thought of quitting is the first and significant step towards quitting smoking forever.
So, seek help from smoking cessation programs or resources which could help you quit. Remember, it is all worth it in the end.
Edited by - Christeena George
Written by - Nandita Singh
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