Have you decided to quit smoking? Congratulations! There are many benefits to quitting smoking. Smoking is harmful to your health, your surroundings and burdens your finances. Here we have summed up everything you have to gain by smoking the cigarette.
Quitting smoking leads to rapid and significant health benefits. A cigarette contains up to 5,000 toxic chemicals that can cause damage to many different organs. The effects of quitting are therefore also spread throughout the body. Some benefits are noticeable immediately, others take longer.
Many benefits come quickly
It’s never too late to quit smoking. Many of the positive health effects of becoming smoke-free come relatively quickly. But don’t take that as a reason to smoke for periods, because several negative health effects take many years to get rid of after you become smoke-free.
Get information and decide on an end date some time in the future. Use the time until then to prepare.
Immediate health benefits of quitting smoking
Heart rate/pulse and blood pressure start to drop already within 20 minutes of quitting smoking.
Improved ability to absorb oxygen in the blood. The carbon monoxide level in the blood normalizes within 12 hours. (Carbon monoxide in the blood reduces the ability to absorb oxygen.)
2-12 weeks after quitting smoking
Blood circulation improves.
Blood circulation also increases in the vertebrae so that the risk of back problems decreases.
Lung function improves. After a few months, the tracheal cilia have recovered.
Long-term health benefits of smoking cessation
1 year after quitting smoking
The risk of heart attack is halved.
5-15 years after quitting smoking
The risk of stroke has been reduced to the same level as that of a non-smoker.
Within 10 years after quitting smoking
Halved risk of lung cancer significantly reduced risk of cancer of the mouth, trachea, esophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas.
Within 15 years after quitting smoking
The risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack has been reduced to the same level as that of a non-smoker.
Other health benefits of quitting smoking
Better sense of smell and taste.
Better food and drink.
Warmer skin tones and fresher skin after a few weeks.
Improved fitness.
Whiter teeth.
Better breath.
Reduced risk of tooth loss.
Reduced coughing and mucus production.
Improved immune system so you become more resistant to infections and other diseases.
Reduced risk of impotence.
Increased ability to get pregnant.
Reduced risk of having premature babies, premature babies with low birth weight, and miscarriage.
Quit smoking and start breathing easier
Then say goodbye to the smoke cough. Studies show that lung capacity improves by up to 10% within nine months of quitting. Just as you cough less, you will notice that it becomes easier to exercise – whether you want to run a marathon or just walk up the stairs without getting short of breath.
Quit smoking and get more energy
Blood circulation improves within 2 weeks of quitting smoking. All the extra oxygen in your body will make it easier to exercise and give you much more energy. People who quit report feeling less tired and having fewer headaches. And not only that – when you stop smoking, your immune system is strengthened and you can withstand colds and flu more easily.
Quit smoking and your sense of smell and taste will improve
When you smoke, you breathe in over 4,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic and can dull your sense of smell and taste. Give up cigarettes and food will taste and smell better after just one week.
If you stop smoking, your skin will improve
Smoking is one of the main causes of premature aging and causes wrinkles and crow’s feet as well as furrows above the lips. Because smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, smokers’ skin tends to look gray and yellowish. Toxins in cigarette smoke also break down collagen, which is needed to keep the skin firm and elastic. Quit smoking and your skin will soon improve – plus you’ll have fewer wrinkles in the future.
Quit smoking for a nicer smile
Stop your habit and you will have whiter teeth and fresher breath. Tobacco stains teeth and is one of the main causes of bad breath. Nicotine pouches, on the other hand, do not stain your teeth, nor are they combustible and can therefore be a better option. Stop and you also run less risk of gum disease.
Quit smoking and live longer
When you stop smoking, your life is extended by several years. Studies show that men who quit smoking at 30 extend their lives by 10 years, while those who quit at 60 extend their lives by three years. You not only live longer, but are also likely to be healthier and more mobile in the fall of old age.
Half of all people who smoke for many years die prematurely from diseases related to smoking, e.g. lung cancer, heart disease and chronic bronchitis. After a year of being smoke-free, your risk of dying from a heart attack is cut in half.
A smoke-free home is better for your family
The benefits of quitting smoking don’t stop with you. If you quit, you will help protect the health of the non-smokers around you. It is particularly dangerous for children to inhale cigarette smoke, so-called passive smoking, as it doubles their risk of getting tracheal infections, ear infections and asthma and increases the risk of lung cancer later in life.
