Non-smokers lungs vs Smokers lungs
Benefits when you quit smoking:
- 20 minutes after quitting heart rate and blood pressure drops
- 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal
- 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting circulation improves and your lung function increases
- 1 to 9 months after quitting coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to remove mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection
- 1 year after quitting the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker’s
- 5 years after quitting risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half; cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non- smoker
- 10 years after quitting the risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking; the risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases
- 15 years after quitting the risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non–smoker
- 25 years after quitting stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker
These are just a few of the benefits of quitting smoking for good. Quitting smoking lowers the risk for diabetes, improves the functioning of blood vessels, the heart and lungs. Quitting while you are younger will reduce your health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would otherwise be lost if continue to smoke. Picture top right: courtesy of Body Worlds
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