Eye-opening video shows what happens to your body when you stop smoking
The effects begin to show incredibly soon
A video has dived into what happens to your body when you stop smoking from the first 20 minutes to 15 years.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills over 8 million people each year, including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke. However there is positive news too, as many millions also quit smoking each year, and see positive, life changing effects after doing so.
But we're never quite sure what's actually going on inside our bodies, and thankfully The Infographics Show on YouTube has given us the details.
20 minutes
20 minutes after your last smoke your body should already begin 'fixing itself', lowering your pulse and blood pressure back to normal, improving circulation and warming up your hands and feet back to a normal temperature.
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12 hours
Since cigarettes contain carbon monoxide (which is deadly in high doses) your lungs and blood stream aren't able to get sufficient oxygen, meaning your heart needs to pump faster to get enough of the good stuff around the body. 12 hours after your last cigarette and these factors begin to normalize once again.
The bad news is it's around the 12 hour mark that you'll start to feel those pesky cravings creeping in. Some people chew gum to help curb cravings.
24 hours
If you make it to this one-day milestone (congratulations) your blood pressure will begin to drop, decreasing the risk of heart disease and blood clots. Plus, with your oxygen levels rising, exercise will start to feel easier.
48 hours
Things get really interesting at the two day mark as your senses like taste and smell become sharper. This is because smoking damages your nerve endings, which will begin to heal after just 48 hours.
This point in your quitting journey can also be one of the toughest as your body enters a 'detox phase', with your lungs kicking out mucus and withdrawal symptoms like dizziness begin to really rear their ugly head.
3 days
At this point your nicotine levels are 'depleted' which increases both your health and unfortunately those withdrawal symptoms. Many people become moody and irritable around this point, experiencing things like headaches and cravings. On the bright side, energy levels are said to increase around this point and breathing becomes easier.
3 months
This is reportedly when you'll see the benefits really come into full swing, it's also the point in a quitting journey where your likelihood of relapse becomes much smaller.
At three months your lungs should become stronger and cleaner, blood flow will be improved making working out easier, and your risk of heart attack decreases.
9 months
At this point the tiny hair-like structures inside the lungs known as cilia will also have recovered. These structures are vital for your body to fight infection.
Former smokers also report a decrease in lung infections and boosted energy levels around this point.
1 year
At this huge milestone the risk of heart disease will have decreased by half and will continue to drop the longer you stay off the cigarettes. One year is a huge milestone to celebrate.
5 years
At this point the arteries and blood vessels begin to widen again, lowering the risk of clots and strokes to the level of a non-smoker. Incredibly, you're also half as likely to get cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus or bladder.
10 years
At this huge milestone the former-smoker lowers their risk of lung cancer to about half that of a smoker.
15 years
Perhaps the most incredible milestone, at 15 years the chances that a former-smoker will get heart disease are the same as if you'd never smoked at all.
Many people took to the comments to express their gratitude for this video and share their stories.
One person wrote: "I quit smoking when i watch this.. now its been a year im proud of my self...". Another shared their story: "My Husband and I both quit smoking Jan 9, 2023. It’s been over 2 months now. This is the longest time we both have gone not returning to the nasty habit! Super thankful for the love and support of our family. Time to get healthy and be around for our grandchildren 😊"