What happens to your body when you quit smoking?
Quitting cigarettes can be “wrenching” when cravings and withdrawal symptoms last for weeks, especially if you’re not strongly motivated.
However, just a few minutes after the first smokeless breath, your body begins to change for the better. And with all the healthy breaths you take in the weeks and months ahead, the benefits will multiply.
According to the American Lung Association (ALA), the health benefits of quitting smoking are the top and most important reason for quitting smoking.
And Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote in the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2020 Smoking Cessation Report: “Even people who have smoked for years or smoke heavily can realize the health benefits of and financial cessation of smoking.
He added: “While the benefits of quitting smoking at an early age are clear, this report confirms that it’s never too late to quit.”
Here’s what happens when you quit smoking:
Withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking include cravings, irritability, and restlessness. Some will also experience trouble concentrating, trouble sleeping, feeling hungry, weight gain, and feeling depressed, anxious, or sad, according to the CDC.
The health benefits of quitting smoking begin about 20 minutes after the last draw. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), this is when a smoker’s heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop.
It takes several days for the level of carbon monoxide in the blood to return to normal. Within two to three months, circulation begins to improve and lung function increases, according to the American Cancer Society.
Gradually, the smoker’s cough disappears with the release of mucus from the lungs. This is because the “cilia”, the small hair-like structures in the lungs, begin to regenerate.
While lung scarring cannot be reversed, quitting smoking can help prevent lung disease symptoms from getting worse, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services website smokefree.gov.
The risk of developing pneumonia and lung cancer also declines over time, according to the American Lung Association.
A strong body is one of the benefits of quitting smoking
This newfound strength includes a reduced risk of bone fractures later in life, according to smokefree.gov. A strong immune system will help you stay healthy and your muscles will get stronger because there will be more oxygen in your blood.
The most beneficial benefits of quitting smoking include a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, a person’s risk of having a heart attack drops dramatically within one to two years.
In one study recently presented at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, Dutch researchers found that quitting smoking, in addition to taking three medications, helped prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients who had a heart attack or underwent surgery to open blocked arteries.
“The benefits of quitting smoking are greater than we thought,” study author Dr. Tinka van Trier of the University Medical Center Amsterdam said in a press release about the study.
According to the website smokefree.gov, some fertility issues resolve even after estrogen levels return to normal.
Quitting smoking also reduces the risk of developing 12 types of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of developing certain types of cancer is halved after about 5 to 10 years.
In another study, recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers from the American Cancer Society and other organizations found that smoking was associated with twice as many all-cause deaths as those who never smoked. Smoking cessation, especially at younger ages, has been associated with a significant reduction in relative excess mortality.
Quitting smoking will help you look better
Among the aesthetic improvements of quitting smoking are clearer skin, fewer wrinkles, notes smokefree.gov.
When your teeth and nails no longer turn yellow, your breath will become fresher, and your hair and clothes will no longer smell like smoke.
Another tangible benefit is the improvement in the taste and smell of food. It’s also better for brain health.
According to a study recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s Disease, those who quit smoking also had less mental decline, especially those who quit smoking in middle age.
“The association we observed was most significant in the 45 to 59 age group, suggesting that quitting smoking at this point in life may have cognitive health benefits,” said study author Jeffrey Wing, assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University. .
Source: Medical Express