What Happens After Quitting Smoking, and When?
Updated: Aug 21
We have already mentioned that smoking is the leading cause of death. Around 1.3 billion people are active smokers, but today we will not focus on them, but on those who have quit smoking. You will find out what happens and when after you put out your last cigarette in the text below.
In the first 20 minutes after your last cigarette: your blood pressure returns to normal. This happens as a result of nicotine releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine, that is, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels. Because of this, smokers feel coldness in their extremities, but the body quickly returns to normal.
Frequent narrowing of blood vessels carries a risk of heart attack, especially if a person has problems with atherosclerosis.
2 hours later: nicotine cravings appear, along with mood changes, drowsiness, feelings of tension, and even difficulty sleeping. Since nicotine releases a lot of dopamine, these are all normal body reactions to reduced dopamine levels.
8 hours after quitting smoking: carbon monoxide is removed from the bloodstream, leaving more room for oxygen to bind to hemoglobin. However, in long-term smokers, constant exposure to carbon monoxide leads to an increase in the number of red blood cells, which increases blood thickness and can lead to blood clots. Again, people with cardiovascular problems are especially at risk.
After 24 hours: coughing worsens, which is a normal reaction of your body as it expels toxins from the lungs. At that point, the risk of developing atherosclerosis begins to decrease.
After 48 hours: once nicotine and its metabolites have completely left your system, damaged nerves begin to recover. Tar and other chemicals damage the nerves in the tongue, so they now repair themselves and taste sensitivity returns.
Long-term smokers, however, may have irreversible damage!
After 72 hours: nicotine cravings peak and symptoms such as nausea, headache, cramps, and emotional symptoms like depression appear. These symptoms are also seen with other addictive substances, such as caffeine, but after this period the worst is over.
One month later: the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease decreases.
Between 3 and 9 months: damaged cilia in the lungs have already fully recovered. These are thin, thread-like structures that help remove small particles such as dust, and as a result symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath have almost completely disappeared.
After about one year: the risk of heart disease as a direct result of sticky substances building up on artery walls is reduced by 50%.
10 years later: the risk of developing lung cancer is reduced by 50% compared to someone who did not quit smoking.
After 15 years: the chances of a heart attack drop to the same level as in a person who has never smoked.
Of course, these guidelines are not definitive and depend on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day, as well as your lifestyle and diet.
Unfortunately, there is always irreversible damage, both in the lungs and in other organs, as well as an increased risk of lung diseases.
Although quitting smoking is difficult, quitting greatly improves your life and health. Certainly the best way to prevent all these consequences is to never start smoking in the first place.