39. What if I quit ... will I ever get better?
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This article is from the Stop Smoking FAQ, by 70424.57@compuserve.com with numerous contributions by others.
39. What if I quit ... will I ever get better?
Smoking cessation has major and immediate health benefits for men and women
of all ages. These benefits apply to people with and without
smoking-related diseases. The following information is from a booklet
produced by the American Cancer Society:
Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:
* blood pressure drops to normal
* pulse drops to its normal rate
* body temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal
Within 8 hours:
* carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal
* oxygen level in your blood increases to normal
Within 24 hours:
* chance of heart attack decreases
Within 48 hours:
* nerve endings start regrowing
* your abilities to smell and taste things are enhanced
Within seventy-two hours:
* bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier
* lung capacity increases
Within two weeks to three months:
* circulation improves and walking becomes easier
* lung function increases by up to 30 percent
Within one to nine months:
* coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
* cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the
lungs, and reduce infection
* the body's overall energy level increases
Five years:
* lung cancer death rate for average ex-smoker decreases from 137 per
100,000 people to 72 per 100,000 (... almost half!)
Ten years:
* lung cancer death rate for average ex-smoker drops to 12 deaths per
100,000 (... almost the rate for a non-smokers and a full order of
magnitude less than a smoker)
* precancerous cells are replaced
* other cancer rates (e.g., mouth, larynx, oesophagus, bladder, kidney
and pancreas) decrease as well
In addition:
* ex-smokers tend to live longer than continuing smokers
* smoking cessation decreases the risk of lung cancer, other cancers,
heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease
* women who stop smoking before pregnancy or during the first three to
four months reduce their risk of having sickly babies, as compared to women
who continue to smoke
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