Know How Quitting to Smoke can Reverse Lung Damage

You’ve been smoking for quite some time now and want to quit? Don’t know how? Here’s what you can do…Addictions are difficult to quit but NOT IMPOSSIBLE! If you have decided to be in control of your body rather than becoming a slave to tobacco for life, you are already on the right path.

Giving up smoking can reverse the damage that has been caused to your lungs to a great extent. Here are a few facts to help strengthen your resolve to quit smoking even more:

• Smoking is the biggest cause of early death & chronic disease
• Smoking kills even those who don’t smoke and exposure to secondhand smoke kills approximately 890,000 non-smokers every year according to a report by WHO
• In India, tobacco causes 100,000 deaths each year leading to 1 in 20 deaths in women and 1 in 5 deaths in men

What happens to your body when you quit smoking?

• Within a day of quitting, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood drops dramatically, enabling your body to take up and use oxygen more easily
• 12 hours after giving up smoking, all the nicotine goes out of the system, and in about 5 days, most nicotine by-products are gone
• Quitting reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack besides reducing the risk of lung cancer even if you do not have the disease
• Withdrawal symptoms are a positive sign your body is adjusting to being chemical & tobacco-free

Great, isn’t it?  If this doesn’t motivate you enough to quit, read on about many more milestones you can achieve by giving up smoking today!

20 minutes after you quit: Bye-bye to the bacterial infections of the lungs

The positive effects start showing up just after 20 minutes after your last cigarette. The fibers in your bronchial tubes that didn’t move well previously due to the constant exposure to smoking, will start moving again. This is highly beneficial for the lungs as these fibers move out the irritants and bacteria out of the lungs, and reduce the risk of infections.

Two weeks after you quit: Lung function increases

Within two weeks, you will start feeling lighter and healthier. You would easily be able to climb stairs without huffing and puffing, thanks to the improved circulation and oxygenation after quitting smoking.

Your lung infection also increases to a great extent, just two weeks after quitting smoking.

One month after you quit: Healthy lungs are back

In just one month, you would feel energized and overall healthy, reducing the symptoms of sinus congestion, and shortness of breath. Moreover, the fibers that keep the lungs healthy start growing back. These fibers can help reduce excess mucus buildup.

One year after you quit: Less coughing

Dramatic health improvements would be on your way after 1 year of quitting. You would breathe easier, you would cough less, and you would feel healthy and energized like never before. Even exertion won’t put you out of breath.

And what’s more? In one year, you would save a huge amount of money spent on cigarettes.

5 years after you quit: Risk of lung cancer decreases

Having 5 smoke-free years is in itself an achievement for a regular smoker. The health benefits you achieve after staying smoke-free for that long are amazing. Your risk of dying from lung cancer is reduced to half of that of a smoker.

Remember, withdrawal peaks between 24 and 48 hours after cessation, decreasing gradually over the next few weeks. So stay strong and keep telling yourself to not reach out for that butt.

Are there benefits of quitting smoking that you would notice right away?

Every damage that is done is reversible. Kicking the butt offers you  great rewards that will show up instantly:

• The taste of food starts getting better
• Your smell returns to normal
• Your hair, clothes, and breath smell better
• Day-to-day activities leave you less out of breath
• You save the money spent on cigarettes

Before you flip that next cigarette to look cool, keep in mind that Lung Cancer isn’t cool. The choice to quit smoking is one of the best health decisions you can make for yourself and your loved ones. Quit today, your lungs will thank you later!