What Happens to My Lungs When I Stop Smoking?
Mark Twain once said, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times." According to the American Cancer Society, nicotine is as addictive as cocaine. With all the destruction smoking causes to the body with a long-term habit, can quitting really repair the damage?
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Immediate benefits
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Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. The carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal in 12 hours, as does your oxygen level. All nicotine will be out of your body in 48 hours, and in 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax.
One to three months
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The cilia in your lungs begin to function normally, improving your ability to handle mucus and reduce infection. There is a decrease in shortness of breath and coughing, and lung function may improve by as much as 10%.
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Three months to one year
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Lung function continues to improve. According to John Hopkins University, even patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) see as much as a 5% increase in lung function, which halves the risk of coronary heart disease.
In five years
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The lung cancer death rate decreases by almost half, as do the risks of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus. The risk of a stroke decreases as well, and begins to approach the risk of a nonsmoker.
In ten to fifteen years
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Precancerous cells are replaced by healthy cells, and the risks of many types of cancer decreases, including cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas. The lung cancer death rate drops to almost the same level as for people who have never smoked. The risk of coronary heart disease also returns to that of a nonsmoker.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of iwishiwashannah
