Did you know that when you quit smoking you could experience health benefits of quitting in as little as twenty minutes? Here’s a quick timeline of all the main health benefits your body will experience when you quit smoking.
20 minutes
- Blood pressure and pulse drop to normal
- Hands and feel start to warm up
8 hours
- Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- Oxygen level in blood increases to normal and makes you feel more energetic
24 hours
- Chance of heart attack decreases
48 hours
- Sense of smell and taste improve
- Nerve endings start to regrow
72 hours
- Bronchial tubes relax
2 weeks to 3 months
- Circulation, lung function, and stamina improve
1 to 9 months
- Coughing, shortness of breath and sinus congestion decrease
- Cilia regrow in the lungs, clean the lungs and reduce infection
- Overall energy increases
1 year
- Risk of heart disease drops to half that of a smoker
5 years
- Risk of stroke is the same as that of a nonsmoker
- Risks of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder are cut in half
- Risk of cervical cancer falls to that of a nonsmoker
10 years
- Lung cancer risk is half that of a smoker
- Risk of pancreatic cancer is roughly the same as a nonsmoker
- Precancerous cells are replaced
15 years
- Risk of heart disease is that of a nonsmoker
- Risk of death is nearly the same as a nonsmoker
No matter how long you’ve been a smoker, there are always benefits to quitting. If you’re ready to see the health benefits of quitting, take a look at our quit smoking resources or find a Courage to Quit® program near you.
Infographic of the the health benefits of quitting:
Timeline source: Centers of Disease Control and Prevention