After Quitting Healthy Changes Happen Quickly

Quitting Improves your Appearance: You will have healthier skin, fresher breath and healthier teeth.
You will smell better and your sense of smell improves quickly and will continue to improve the longer it has been since you smoked. Your sense of taste improves too. You will be able to breath easier when you climb stairs, or participate in the activities like bowling, biking or even vacuuming without losing your breath.

Many of the Changes you will notice after Quitting happen quickly.

In 20 minutes, your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet return to normal.

In 8 hours, carbon monoxide and blood oxygen levels return to normal.

In 24 hours, risk of heart attack drops.

In 48 hours, your nerve endings start to re-grow.

In 2 weeks to 3 months, you breathe easier. Circulation improves and lung function improve. This means that daily activities and the sports that you love to participate in will be easier and more enjoyable for you.

In 1 to 9 months, cilia, which clean your lungs, start to regain normal function which will increase the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection. You won't cough as much or have as much congestion. You won't be as tired feeling.

In only 1 year, your risk of heart disease is half of what it was when you smoked.

5 years after quitting, your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.

10 years after quitting your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing tobacco user. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas also decrease.
15 years after quitting the risk of coronary heart disease falls to that of a nonsmokers.

University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, What Happens When You Quit


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You're doing the Right thing to Quit!

Quitting is the best gift you can give your child. A study at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks to the importance of pregnant smokers quitting by documenting what can happen if the mother keeps smoking.

The review of national data found smoking caused up to 8 percent of premature births and up to 19 percent of cases of term low birth weight. They linked smoking with up to 7 percent of deaths related to premature births and up to 34% of SIDS.

Researcher Patricia Dietz is quoted as saying, "Smoking is a very well-established cause of restricting fetal growth during pregnancy and also shortening the length of pregnancy."

The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.