What REALLY happens to your body when you stop smoking
We all know some of the side effects that take place when you put down the cigarettes for good. You stop stinking like a soggy tab end, your sense of smell miraculously reappears, and you can climb the stairs without wheezing like an asthmatic walrus.
Oh yes, and your wallet gets significantly heavier too!
However, what happens inside your body when you stub out those cigs for good? Let’s go on a fantastic voyage and find out.
20 minutes in
Did you know you experience benefits twenty minutes after you stop smoking? Your heart rate and blood pressure start to decrease, thanks to the nicotine levels in your body subsiding. Yep, that’s how gross smoking is.
8 hours in
At this time, the oxygen levels in your body start to improve. Carbon monoxide is one of the key components of cigarettes, which replaces oxygen in your bloodstream. Eight hours in, your body is beginning to recover, and your lungs are getting lots of lovely O2 as a result.
48 hours in
You’ve just eaten your lunch, and everything tastes AWESOME! Two days after quitting, your sense of taste and smell is starting to return. This is due to your body clearing out all the gross mucus that has accumulated in your lungs and nose. Buy yourself a bunch of flowers; you deserve it.
72 hours in
Three days after stubbing out the cigs and you can start to breathe easy… both figuratively and literally! The oxygen levels in your body are increasing even more, and your lungs are beginning to recover.
You might not be ready to sign up for the London Marathon just yet, but you’re feeling more alive than you have for years.
Three months in
Fast forward to three months later. Your lung function will have increased by 10 per cent. It might not sound like a lot, but if you’ve struggled with coughs, wheezing and breathing issues, you’ll have found that you’re feeling a lot better.
(By the way, don’t panic if you develop a cough after quitting smoking – this is your lungs getting rid of all the goop!)
One year in
After one year of smoking, your risk of heart attack and heart disease has decreased by half. Some people say smoking is sexy, but we think not dying from smoking-related diseases is much sexier.
Ten years in
A decade in from not smoking, and how have things changed? Your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved. As a bonus, your risk of death from other types of cancers will have substantially decreased too. Up yours, grim reaper!
Whether you’re quitting for Stoptober, New Year, or just for the heck of it, stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. Check out our blog for some additional resources you might find helpful during this time!
