There’s no waiting around for the benefits of quitting
When you quit smoking, your body thanks you for it—immediately. And your body keeps thanking you hour after hour, day after day and year after year. Check out how your body reacts when you quit:
After just 20 minutes:
- Your blood pressure and pulse slow to normal rates.
- Blood circulation in your hands and feet improves.
After 8 hours:
- The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal.
- The oxygen level in your blood increases.
After 24 hours:
- Your breath, hair and body stop smelling like cigarette smoke.
After 72 hours:
- Nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes, is out of your body.
After 1-3 weeks:
- Nerve endings that have been dulled by smoking are back in action.
- Your senses of taste and smell improve.
After 1-9 months:
- Your lungs can hold more air.
- Coughing, congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
- Your cilia re-grow in your lungs, increasing your ability to fight off infections.
- Your overall body energy increases.
After 1 year:
- Your risk of coronary heart disease is reduced to only half that of a smoker’s.
After 5-15 years:
- Your risk of having a stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s.
After 10 years:
- Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker’s.
- Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas is reduced.
After 15 years:
- Your risk of coronary heart disease is down to that of a nonsmoker’s.