I am re-posting this in the hope it will help anyone trying to stop smoking today.
When you stop smoking, after -
20 minutes your blood pressure, pulse rate and the temperature of your hands and feet have returned to normal.
8 hours the remaining nicotine in your bloodstream will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.
12 hours your blood oxygen level will have increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.
24 hours anxieties have peaked in intensity and within two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
48 hours damaged nerve endings have started to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to normal. Cessation anger and irritability will have peaked.
72 hours your entire body will test 100% nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness. The number of craving episodes experienced during any quitting day will peak now for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lung's functional abilities are starting to increase.
5-8 days the "average" ex-smoker will encounter an "average" of three craving episodes per day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes.
10 days the "average" ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
14 days recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-smoker.
2 - 4 weeks cessation related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and evaluated by your GP.
1 month brain acetylcholine receptor counts that were up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains of non-smokers.
1 -3 months your heart attack risk has started to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.
1 -3 months your circulation has substantially improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely disappeared.
2 – 9 months any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your lungs clean and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
1 year your excess risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke have dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
5 – 10 years your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
10 years your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker. Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker (one pack per day). Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker while risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and oesophagus has also declined. Your risk of developing diabetes is now similar to that of a never-smoker.
13 years your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker.
15 years your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked.
20 years female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now reduced to that of a never-smoker. Risk of pancreatic cancer reduced to that of a never-smoker.
Any advice on stopping smoking?
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Results of Stopping the Smoking
