whenquit.htm

Changes Your Body Goes Through When You Quit Smoking:

Within 20 minutes of last cigarette:

•Blood pressure drops to normal

•Pulse rate drops to normal rate

•Body temperature of hands and feet increases to normal

Within 8 hours:

•Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal

•Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

Within 48 hours:

•Nerve endings start regrowing

•Ability to smell and to taste things enhances

Within 72 hours:

•Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier

•Lung capacity increases

Within 2 weeks to 3 months:

•Circulation improves

•Walking becomes easier

•Lung function increases up to 30%

Within 1 to 9 months:

•Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease

•Cilia regrowth in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection

•Body's overall energy level increases

•Chance of heart attack decreases

Within 3 to 4 years:

•The risk of cancers of the larynx and bladder decreases

Within 5 years:

•The risk of cancers of the esophagus and the mouth decreases

After 10 years of abstinence:

•The risk of cancer of the pancreas decreases

•The risk of lung cancer is about 30-50% of the risk in continuing smoking; the longer you stay quit, the more the risk declines

{there are 43 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer}