Benefits of Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking can be a difficult task for most people. Nicotine is very addictive which is why smokers crave cigarettes. However, there is no safe amount of cigarette smoke. When you smoke your blood carries toxins to every organ in your body. After quitting for just 20 minutes your body begins to heal itself.
Here are the benefits your body experiences after stopping smoking per the United States Department of Health:
- 20 minutes: blood pressure and heart rate drop
- 12 hours: carbon monoxide in blood stream drops to normal
- 2 weeks – 3 months: circulation and lung function improve, heart attack risk begins to drop
- 1 – 9 months: cough less and breathe easier
- 1 year: the risk of coronary disease is cut in half
- 2 – 5 years: risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker
- 10 years: half as likely to die from lung cancer; risk of kidney or pancreatic cancer decreases
- 15 years: risk of coronary heart disease is the same as non-smoker’s risk
Quitting smoking can help add years to your life and also protect your loved ones from dangerous secondhand smoke. Speak with your healthcare provider to further discuss benefits and ways to be successful in stopping smoking.
Tags: benefits, blood pressure, cancer, cigarettes, heart attack, lung cancer, nicotine, quitting, risk, secondhand smoke, smoking, stopping, stroke
