Sunday, October 11, 2009

Quit Smoking

Just felt like sharing this article and also as a reminder for those who are still smoking....for heaven's safe ...please stop.


When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

At 20 minutes after quitting:

  • blood pressure decreases
  • pulse rate drops
  • body temperature of hands and feet increases
At 8 hours:

  • carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
  • oxygen level in blood increases to normal
At 24 hours:

  • chance of a heart attack decreases
At 48 hours:

  • nerve endings start regrowing
  • ability to smell and taste is enhanced
The first year after quitting:

At 2 weeks to 3 months:

  • circulation improves
  • walking becomes easier
  • lung function increases
1 to 9 months:

  • coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
1 year:

  • excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
Long-term Benefits of Quitting

At 5 years:

  • from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years:

  • risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
  • risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
  • risk of ulcer decreases
At 15 years:

  • risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
  • risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
See also:

www.ffsonline.org

2 comments:

Aleta said...

My Dad used to be a "chain-smoker" - you would never see him without a cigarette. He quit when the doctor told him, "If you continue like this, you'll have 5 years left, max." That was over 15 years ago when Dad quit cold turkey. I'm so incredibly glad that he quit. Now he can't even stand the smell of cigarette smoke.

Sukku said...

I am glad to know that your dad did the wise thing. I tried quitting many times but now I am forced to quit...and I am glad that I did it...