Benefits of quitting smoking |
Posted: June 9, 2014 |
With scary facts like 1 in 2 people die of nicotine addiction, 90% of lung cancers are smoking related, Smoking in pregnant mothers may cause untold damage to the unborn child both physically and mentally and it can also cause death. It is reason enough to put that cigarette down for good and experience the benefits of quitting smoking. Let us look at what happens after you have had your last cigarette. The benefits of quitting smoking are immediate. Within the first 20 minutes, your blood pressure, heart rate and temperatures of your extremities have returned to normal. By the 8th hour, over 93% of your daily nicotine levels will have left your body. Your oxygen levels go up to a normal rate and your carbon monoxide levels drops. 24 hours after a cigarette, withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, intense cravings, drowsiness or trouble sleeping, increased appetite, tension; frustration and anxiety are likely to begin and are likely to last up to 2 weeks. However, your body system is getting more oxygenated seeing as the blood cells are bonding with more oxygen. Your risk of heart attacks start to decline. At 48 hours, the damaged nerves that serve your extremities have started to regenerate as well as your sense of taste and smell. By the 72 hour mark, the nicotine will have left your body entirely and 90% of all the nicotine derivatives your body makes nicotine into will also dissipate. Inside the lungs, the alveoli (air sacs) and the bronchial tubes are starting to relax and allowing even more oxygen to the blood stream. Breathing gets continually easier as a result. Unfortunately at this time your body is also craving for a nicotine fix big time. Your withdrawal symptoms characterized by intense hunger irritability, headaches, dizziness, feeling unfocused, and emotional outbursts are likely to peak at this time as the brain is crying out for a nicotine fix because it is running on empty now. 5 to 10 days after this, the cravings significantly reduce and you find that you are having less and less craving episodes a day. However, due to the mind distorting time, a craving episode that typically lasts only 3 minutes will feel like it is several hours long. By the 21st day, the brain receptors for nicotine begin to behave like they did before you ever smoked. Within a year, you will have halved the risk of heart failures, heart attacks and strokes as compared to a smoker. Within 15 to 20 years after smoking your last cigarette, your risk of heart attacks falls to that of a non smoker and you benefit by not having an elevated risk of heart related conditions like irregular heart beat rhythms, angina, coronary artery diseases as well as infections of the heart. Your risk of getting pancreatic cancer drops down to the level of one who has never smoked for both men and women.
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