What Happens When You Stop Smoking?

Are you concerned about what happens when you stop smoking, and is this part of the reason you have been hesitant to attempt to quit? Well quitting smoking is in large part a mind game. You have to be convinced in your mind that becoming a non-smoker is what you definitely want. This will help you as events in life happen while you’re trying to quit, that can trigger a relapse to smoking.

Most people evaluate the decision to stop smoking by weighing the pros and cons of doing so. The main pros are the obvious health benefits that dropping this habit will bring you and the major con is really just the struggle to quit. In the end the good outweigh the bad so you really need to make the decision to quit soon, if not today.

What happens when you stop smoking?

You will experience withdrawal symptoms as you have developed a hand to mouth habit and you will need to find ways to occupy both as you go through this initial stage. Every habit takes a while to break so cut yourself some slack if you find this period difficult. For many people, smoking is associated with certain pleasant things such as having a drink with friends or after an enjoyable meal. You just have to be conscious of your triggers and find alternate behaviors at these times to get you through.

The benefits of stopping smoking can be felt immediately. The oxygen levels in your body increase causing a boost in energy. Here is a stopping smoking time line that I think someone sent to me in an email so I’m not exactly sure where it originated but think it is very important that you read through it as it is very motivating.

Smoking Cessation Time-line;

* In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase.

* Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. At 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. With the decrease in carbon monoxide, your blood oxygen level increases to normal.

* At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack decreases.

* At 48 hours, nerve endings start to regrow and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced.

* Between 2 weeks and 3 months, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and you don’t cough or wheeze as often. Phlegm production decreases. Within several months, you have significant improvement in lung function.

* In 1 to 9 months, coughs, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease as you continue to see significant improvement in lung function. Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs, regain normal function.

* In 1 year, risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is reduced to half that of a smoker.

* Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

* In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer drops. Additionally, your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease. Even after a decade of not smoking however, your risk of lung cancer remains higher than in people who have never smoked. Your risk of ulcer also decreases.

* In 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack in similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of a non-smoker.

The road to recovery may be long but it’s worth it.