If you quit smoking today, your body will start thanking you tomorrow. Well, actually it will start to thank you after 20 minutes. Thats the time it takes, before you begin to heal.
If you smoke your last cigarette now, your blood pressure decreases and your pulse rate drops within the next 20 minutes. You will also feel that your body temperature of your hands and feet will be increased. 8 hours from now the carbon monoxide level in the blood has dropped to a normal level and the oxygen level in the blood will be at a normal level.
Tomorrow at the same time, your risk of a heart attack is decreased. And the day after tomorrow your nerve endings will begin to growth again. Your will also have improved your ability to taste and smell. On day later your breathing will be easier.
The following weeks and month your will improve your circulation. Walking will be easier and your lung function will increase. The nicotine withdrawal symptom will subside after the first month, so you will be able to focus on the psychological need for a cigarette.
One year from now, your risk of coronary heart disease will only be the half as today. This is a very important thing, because in the United States smoking is directly linked to 30 % of all heart disease deaths.
It is not only the short-term benefits, which makes it worth quitting. The risk of a stroke has been reduced to the same as people who have never smoked after only 5 years. And the risk of lung cancer drops to one-half that of the smokers after 10 years. The risk of other cancer types will also decrease; including the risk of cancer in the throat, esophagus, kidney, mouth, and pancreas.
The risk of coronary heart disease will be the same of people who have never smoked after 15 years. And in many other ways will the risk of death be at nearly the same level of people who have never smoked.
So do yourself (and your body) a favor and quit smoking today; and see your health improve. Just remember that the nicotine addiction healing process is an ongoing process. You will see some quick improvement, but other will happen more slowly.
Martin Elmer is the editor of Rygeafvaenning. Here you can also read about Roegfri.