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What Happens When You Quit Smoking

FunWriter | Jun 3, 2010 |

1 Comments | Rating: 1

If you've ever tried to quit smoking, then you know how hard it can be. I know, because I tried to quit several times before being able to do it successfully. One thing that really helps is having a good reason to quit. And knowing what happens when you quit smoking will make it easier to avoid the temptation of lighting up again. As you will see, there are many benefits of quitting, and your health starts improving right away, and will continue to do so.

Before we get to the benefits, it's only fair to mention the downside to quitting. At least it will seem like a downside, but it's really your body's way of readjusting itself. What we are talking about is withdrawal. And the withdrawal from cigarettes can be difficult to deal with. Your body will different and the craving for nicotine will be strong, but by keeping the following in mind, you should be able to get past this stage.

So, what happens when you quit smoking? The good news is that you start getting healthier right away. Within the period of a few minutes to the first day, your blood pressure and heart rate will be lower, the risk of having a heart attack goes down, and the level of carbon monoxide in your system will return to normal. Not bad for the first day.

After the first few weeks through the end of the first year, you will have less coughing and wheezing, your circulation will be much improved, breathing gets better, and shortness of breath during simple activities will be virtually gone. Many smokers don't even realize how short of breath they really are, until they quit smoking and see how much of an improvement it makes.

Once the first year is over, and in the years to come, your body will halve its chances of getting lung cancer, and your risk of heart disease and stroke will return to that of somebody who never smoked. There are other changes that happen, such as generally feeling better, improved taste and smell, and not smelling like smoke, to name a few.

So, what happens when you quit smoking? In short, you get healthier and feel better than ever.