What Can Happen Only 20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette
September 9th, 2006 (Quit Smoking)
When smokers are confronted with the harsh reality of the problems - both health related and social - that their smoking habit brings for themselves and others, the majority admit that they have always intended to become non-smokers, but that there has always been an excuse to put it off to a “better time”.
All smokers’ energy levels are depleted because of lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Oxygen levels decrease by about 15 percent when smoking, to be replaced by carbon monoxide. When you become a non-smoker your energy levels will increase and your senses will be heightened, especially your sense of taste and sense of smell as your nasal passages clear.
I have always believed that the transition from being a smoker to a non-smoker should be as smooth and uneventful as possible. Why remind yourself each day that you used to smoke, or feel the need to congratulate yourself for getting through another day without tobacco? Far better just to forget you ever were a smoker. No more embarrassment when you have told all your friends and family that you are a non-smoker, only to announce later that you are smoking again, resulting in yet another blow to your self-esteem. You can become a non-smoker if you are given the right tools to do so.
When you become a non-smoker, both men and women experience significant and immediate health benefits. The body systems begin to return to normal and the body immediately begins to repair the damage. Below are the typical physiological experiences that your body undergoes after quitting your last cigarette:
20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. Circulation improves, making you look healthier as well as feel healthier.
8 hours: Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood are greatly reduced; oxygen levels in the blood return to normal. The chances of a heart attack start to fall.
24 hours: Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body. Lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.
48 hours: Nicotine has been eliminated from the body. Your senses of taste and smell are greatly enhanced.
72 hours: Bronchial tubes begin to relax; energy levels increase. Breathing becomes easier.
2-12 weeks: Circulation improves throughout the body.
3-9 months: Lung function is increased by up to 10 percent, therefore coughing, wheezing and breathing problems improve.
5 years: Risk of heart attack falls to approximately half that of a smoker.
10 years: Risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker. Risk of heart attack falls to the same as for someone who has never smoked.