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What Happens When You Stop Smoking
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU STOP SMOKING???
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20 Mins -- Blood pressure & pulse rate drops to normal. Body temp. of hands & feet increases to normal.
8 Hours -- Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal. Oxygen level in blood increases to normal. Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream (if no NRT used) will have fallen to 6.25% of your normal peak daily levels (a 93.25% reduction).
24 Hrs -- Chance of heart attack decreases. Anxieties peak in intensity & within 2 weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
48 Hrs -- Nerve endings start to regrow. Ability to smell & taste is enhanced. Cessation anger & irritability peaks.
72 Hrs -- Bronchial tubes relax making breathing easier. Lung capacity increases. Your body will test 100% nicotine free (if not using an NRT) & 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via the urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user.
5-8 Days - The "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of (3) cue induced crave episodes per day. Serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours (any single episode lasts no longer than 3 mins; watch the clock!).
10 Days - 2 Wks -- Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums & teeth is now similar to that of a non-user.
2-4 Wks -- Cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness & depression have ended. If these symptoms persist get seen & evaluated by your Dr.
21 Days -- Brain acetylcholine receptor counts up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated & receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
3 Mos. -- Circulation improves. Walking becomes easier. Lung function increases up to 30%. You may experience your 1st day of not thinking once about smoking.
1 to 9 Mos. -- Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, & shortness of breathe decrease. Your body's overall energy level increases. Cilia regrow in lungs increasing its ability to handle mucus, clean lungs & reduce infection.
1 Year --Your risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack & stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
5 Yrs -- Lung cancer death rate for average smoker (one pack a day) decreases fron 137 per 100,000 people to 72 per 100,000.
10 Yrs -- Lung cancer death rate for average smoker drops to 12 per 100,000, or almost the rate of a lifetime non-tobacco user. Pre-cancerous cells are replaced. Risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney & pancreas decreases. Risk of developing diabetes is now similar to that of a never smoker.
13 Yrs -- Risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never smoker (2006 study).
15 Yrs -- Risk of coronary artery/heart disease & stroke is now that of a person who has never smoked.
20 Yrs -- Risk of death from all smoking related causes including lung disease & cancer, is now reduced to that of a never smoker. Risk of pancreatic cancer is reduced to that of a never smoker.
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IT DOES MATTER!!! JUST QUIT & STAY QUIT!!!