Smokers essentially try to fulfil two needs. The first one is getting enough nicotine in the blood stream; the second is fulfilling that irresistible psychological urge to enjoy a drink or great conversation among others that are also smoking. Compulsive smokers fall in the deadly trap of addiction and submit their will to highly addictive nicotine – endangering themselves and everyone around them in the process. However, when looking at the particular benefits of quitting smoking – motivation to quit can suddenly take a huge leap.
Source: Shutterstock
20 Minutes Later
When smoking, you inhale huge amounts of smoke and other chemicals, which are directly dropped into the bloodstream, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. However 20 minutes after your cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure become normal again.
8 Hours Later
Carbon monoxide and nicotine and other harmful chemicals leak to every organ in your body. In fact, carbon monoxide is one of 4,000 other chemicals that enter the body once you’ve inhaled the smoke of burning tobacco that bond very well to blood cells preventing cells from bonding with oxygen.
8 hours after you put out your last cigarette, both nicotine and carbon monoxide start leaving your body and your oxygen rate goes back to its normal levels.
Source: Shutterstock
24 Hours Later
The inflammation of your airways starts to decrease and your “cilia”, that is, the hair-like structures in your lungs that were paralyzed by the smoke, begin to work again.
At this stage, you will begin to cough out mucus. People associate smokers to coughing, which is true, but you may find yourself coughing even more after you’ve stopped smoking. Consider this a good cough, as your lungs are simply cleaning themselves out!
48 Hours Later
By now, it’s indisputable that nicotine is in fact lethal. It’s equally well-known that it affects your senses, causing reductions in your ability to taste and smell.
48 hours after your last cigarette, as nicotine levels decrease dramatically, the nervous system starts to adjust to the nicotine absence and your senses begin to recover, especially your ability to taste and smell.
2 To 12 Weeks later
Since smoking affects blood circulation, it weakens the body, making it less resistant to diseases.
Ex-smokers begin to notice a dramatic improvement in their physical activity, heart and blood circulation functions, and breathing rates becoming more active and resilient in their daily life.
Source: Shutterstock
3 To 9 Months
Your body continues to dispose all the lethal chemicals. You stop coughing and your lungs are 100% clean again, becoming stronger and healthier.
12 Months Later
After a whole smoke-free year, the risks of having strokes and heart attacks go down significantly and your risk of having cancer decreases by over 60%.
Share this with everyone you know – perhaps you could inspire someone to quit smoking and even save a life!
Published by Newsner, please like.
