What happens after you quit smoking? The benefits of quitting smoking timeline:
20 MINUTES
- Blood pressure drops to normal
- Pulse rate drops to normal
- Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal
8 HOURS
- Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
24 HOURS
- Chance of heart attack decreases
48 HOURS
- Nerve endings start regrowing
- Ability to smell and taste is enhanced
2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS
- Circulation improves
- Walking becomes easier
- Lung function increases up to 30 percent
1 TO 9 MONTHS
- Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease
- Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection
- Body's overall energy increases
1 YEAR
- Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker
5 YEARS
- Lung cancer death rate for an average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half
- Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker five to 15 years after quitting
- Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus is half that of a smoker's
10 YEARS
- Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a non-smoker
- Precancerous cells are replaced
- Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, cervix, and pancreas decreases
15 YEARS
- Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker