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Smoking tobacco causes several health problems for smokers as well as the people around them. Many smokers do not evens know how the nicotine present in tobacco harms their body. Smoking has even more fatal effects on people who are suffering from diabetes. Giving up smoking entirely is a very difficult task for heavy smokers. But, the numerous health benefits are worth the hard work. According to some latest researches, it is better to quit smoking before one reaches the age of 35. Because, ex-smokers who have quitted the habit of smoking for at least fifteen years before turning 50 can live as long and healthy a life as a non-smoker.

Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Smoking causes severe damage to one’s health. It is important for all smokers to find out the numerous benefits of quitting smoking on the body. Let us find out what are the benefits of quitting smoking:

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Skin: Quitting smoking has many benefits for skin. According to studies, one can get younger looking skin after giving up smoking. Facial ageing slows down significantly after quitting tobacco. It also stops the early appearance of wrinkles. Once an individual gives up smoking, his or her skin starts getting more oxygen and other nutrients that keeps the skin fresh and free of lines.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Teeth: Smoking causes the teeth to stain; so, quitting smoking results in whiter teeth and fresher breath. Giving up smoking also decreases the risks of various gum diseases and premature teeth-loss.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Beauty and Appearance: Giving up smoking results in younger looking skin, better hair, fresher breath and better all over appearance.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Hair: Smoking can cause hair loss in some people. Giving up smoking helps to replenish the damaged hair.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Breathing: One can breathe more easily after quitting smoking as the nicotine is removed from the lungs, allowing them to get more oxygen. The capacity of the lungs improves by around 10% within 9 months after one quits smoking tobacco. In people who stop smoking within their 20s and 30s, the improvement in the lung capacity cannot be noticed unless they take part in activities that require high energy, like going for a run. But it can be observed more clearly in older people.

Longer Life: Smoking causes several life-threatening diseases, including chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and various heart diseases, which can even cause death of the smokers. Quitting smoking helps people to add several years to their lives by cutting down the risks of having these diseases. Individuals who quit smoking before reaching the age of 30 add ten years to their lives, while those who quit at 60 add 3 years to their lives. Ex-smokers do not only live longer, they can live a healthy and disease free old age.

Less Stress: Different scientific researches show that giving up smoking lowers the stress levels of an individual. Smokers suffer from stress between cigarettes due to the “withdrawal”. The pleasant feeling during smoking a cigarette is a temporary one and it cannot cure the stress permanently.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Taste and Smell: The senses of taste and smell get a significant boost when an individual gives up smoking. Smoking affects these senses by the numerous toxic chemicals present in cigarettes. Quitting smoking allows the body to recover from these toxic elements.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking on Brain: Smoking can cause severe damage to the brain of an individual. It reduces memory and cognitive abilities of the brain and even causes neuroinflamation. So, quitting smoking has numerous benefits on the brain.

More Energy: The circulation improves significantly within a few weeks of quitting smoking. As a result, an individual has more energy to carry out various daily activities. Quitting also has several benefits for the immunity system, allowing the ex-smoker to easily fight off diseases like colds and flu. An ex-smoker is also less likely to get tired easily and have headaches.

Fresher Breath and Hair: Heavy smokers generally smell bad. Quitting smoking helps an individual to smell fresh.

Healthier Loved Ones: Giving up smoking is beneficial for the people around the smoker as well. One can protect his or her family and loved ones by quitting this harmful habit.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking Timeline

There are count-less short term and long term benefits of quitting smoking cigarettes. Following is a chart that includes the day by day benefits of giving up smoking.

After 20 Minutes

  • The blood pressure comes down to normal
  • The pulse rate becomes normal
  • Temperature of the feet and hands increases

After 8 Hours

  • The carbon monoxide starts leaving the body, allowing the blood cells to function properly
  • The reduced carbon monoxide levels results in normal oxygen levels in the blood

After 1 Day

  • The risks of having a heart attack decreases
  • The nicotine starts leaving the body

After 2 Days

  • The nerve endings start re-growing
  • The senses of smell and taste are enhanced

After 1 Week

  • The teeth of the individual becomes brighter
  • The person starts smelling better

After 2 Weeks

  • Walking becomes easier
  • The circulation improves
  • Phlegm production decreases

After 3 Months

  • The lungs become cleaner, reducing the risk of infection
  • The smoker coughs and wheezes less often
  • The individual has more energy for carrying out the day to day activities

After 3 to 9 Months

  • Functioning of the lungs improves significantly
  • Various health problems like sinus congestion, fatigue, coughs and shortness of breath gets relieved

After 1 Year

  • The risks of suffering from heart attack and other heart diseases decreases by half
  • The chances of getting cancer is reduced greatly

After 5 Years

The chances of an ex-smoker suffering from a heart attack becomes similar to a non-smoker

After 10 Years

  • The risks of having lung cancer drops significantly (but it remains higher compared to non-smokers)
  • The risks of having cancer of throat, mouth, esophagus, kidney, bladder and pancreas decreases significantly

After 15 Years

  • The risks of heart attack and coronary heart disease becomes the same as a non-smoker

The benefits of quitting smoking are countless. It is ideal to attempt to quit smoking at an early age as it helps one to live a longer, healthier and happier life. However, it is never too late to give up cigarettes as one can gain numerous positive effects by quitting tobacco at any age. There are various ways and processes to give up smoking. Different medicines and nicotine replacement therapies make it easier for heavy smokers to get rid of the nicotine addiction. Many forums and support groups help people give up smoking successfully.