You may be surprised at how fast your body can recover from the harmful effects of smoking. Keep reading to find out how quitting could help improve your health — and learn tips to be a successful quitter.
How tobacco affects your health
Smoking is known to cause cancer and damage nearly every organ in the body, including your lungs, heart, blood vessels, mouth, skin, eyes, and bones. But did you know that within minutes of your last cigarette, your body begins to recover?
Consider these numbers:
- In 20 minutes: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.
- In 12 hours: Carbon monoxide in your blood drops to normal.
- In 1 day: Your risk of heart attack begins to drop.
- In 2 days: Your sense of taste and smell improves.
- In 1 month: Your circulation improves.
- In 9 months: Your lungs have largely healed.
- In 1 year: Risk of heart disease decreases by half.
- In 5 years: Risk of mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder cancers are cut in half.
- In 10 years: Risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half.
- In 15 years: Risk of heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.
And perhaps the most important number of all ― 30. That’s the average number of attempts it takes to quit before succeeding. So don’t give up!
3 proven tips for quitting
- Start by thinking about why you want to quit. Write down the reasons that are most motivating for you so you can look at them every time you’re tempted to smoke.
- Set a date to quit and mark it on your calendar. This gives you time to prepare. Make sure you:
- Get rid of all smoking materials.
- Stock up on substitutes, like sugarless gum, carrot sticks, and hard candy. (Note: Vaping isn’t a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes!)
- Practice your response when someone offers you a cigarette.
- Think about how you’ll handle situations that usually cause you to want to use tobacco.
- Ask family and friends to be your support system.
- Consult your doctor about prescriptions that may help you break your addiction.
- Consider enrolling in a tobacco cessation program offered through your medical plan, the Employee Assistance Program, or local organizations.
- Crush your cravings with these proven strategies:
- Take a few deep breaths.
- Crunch on a healthy snack.
- Distract yourself with another activity.
- Go for a brisk walk.
- Drink water or juice.
- Brush your teeth.
- Chew gum.
- Play a game on your smartphone or computer.
- Call a friend.
- Read a book or magazine.
Sources:
American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)
American Lung Association (www.lung.org)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Partnership to End Addiction (drugfree.org)
“Smokers Die Ten Years Sooner Than Non-Smokers,” MedicalNewsToday (www.medicalnewstoday.com), May 30, 2013
“What happens after you quit smoking?” MedicalNewsToday (www.medicalnewstoday.com), November 19, 2018
