Thursday, June 4, 2015
If you’re smoking a cigarette right now, I have good news for you: if you don’t ever pick one up again, your body will go through amazing transformations within minutes of finishing your last one.
20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure and pulse will lower and return to normal. The temperature in your hands and feet increase.
After 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood will lower and return to normal. Blood oxygen begins to increase. You’ll feel more alert, sleep better, and be stronger.
After 24 hours, your risk of heart attack drops significantly.
After 48 hours, nerve endings begin to regrow and your sense of smell and taste will return.
After about 3 months, your circulation will improve, walking will be easier, and you’ll cough less. Lung function will be markedly improved.
Between 1 and 9 months, you’ll have less sinus congestion, fatigue, and nearly no shortness of breath.
After 1 year, your risk of coronary heart disease is half of what it was when you smoked.
After 5-15 years, your risk of stroke returns to normal, as if you never smoked at all.
At the 10 year mark, your chance of developing smoking-related cancer is about the same as a non-smoker. Diet and smoking contribute to 60% of cancers.
After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is that of a non-smoker. Your risk of death has dropped to that of a non-smoker.
You’ll also save a ton of money by not smoking too. Who wouldn’t want that?
