Smoking is a major cause of preventable deaths around the world, releasing over 7,000 chemicals with each puff. But what happens when you decide to quit smoking? Let’s explore the changes your body goes through when you stop.
Just 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate return to normal. This happens because nicotine in cigarettes causes your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow. When you stop smoking, your hands and feet will feel warmer as blood flow improves.
Two hours after your last cigarette, you might start to feel nicotine cravings. This can make you feel moody, tired, tense, and even cause trouble sleeping. These feelings occur because nicotine affects the release of dopamine, a chemical in your brain that makes you feel good.
Eight hours in, the carbon monoxide from cigarettes leaves your body, allowing oxygen levels in your blood to return to normal. Carbon monoxide competes with oxygen to bind to hemoglobin in your blood. For long-term smokers, this can lead to thicker blood and higher blood pressure, increasing the risk of blood clots.
After a day, you might notice more coughing as your body works to clear out toxins from your lungs. The good news is that your risk of heart disease starts to decrease.
Two days after quitting, nicotine and its byproducts are gone from your body. Your damaged nerve endings begin to heal, and your sense of taste starts to improve. However, some taste buds may be permanently damaged if you’ve smoked for a long time.
Three days in, nicotine withdrawal hits its peak. You might experience headaches, nausea, cramps, and emotional symptoms like anxiety and depression. These symptoms are common with many addictive substances, but the worst is over after this period.
One month after quitting, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases decreases.
During this time, your lungs start to repair themselves, especially the cilia, tiny hair-like structures that help clean your lungs. As a result, coughing and shortness of breath improve significantly.
After a year, your risk of heart disease is reduced by almost half. This is because the fatty deposits and scar tissue in your arteries start to decrease.
Ten years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer drops to half that of someone who continues to smoke.
Fifteen years after quitting, your risk of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked.
Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and how much you smoked will affect your recovery. Some damage to your lungs might be permanent, but the benefits of quitting far outweigh the challenges of withdrawal.
The best way to avoid these health issues is to never start smoking. If you’re looking for motivation to quit or achieve other goals, check out our videos for inspiration. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or on social media, and subscribe for more science videos every Thursday.
Create a timeline that illustrates the changes your body undergoes after quitting smoking. Use different colors or symbols to represent different time intervals, such as 20 minutes, 2 hours, 8 hours, and so on. This will help you visualize the positive effects of quitting smoking over time.
In groups, role-play scenarios where one person is trying to quit smoking and others are offering support or acting as temptations. Discuss how to handle cravings and withdrawal symptoms effectively. This activity will help you understand the challenges and strategies for quitting smoking.
Research the chemicals found in cigarettes and their effects on the body. Create a presentation to share your findings with the class. This will deepen your understanding of why quitting smoking is beneficial for your health.
Write a journal entry imagining you are someone who has just quit smoking. Reflect on the physical and emotional changes you might experience over the first month. This exercise will help you empathize with those who are trying to quit smoking.
Participate in a class debate on the topic: “The benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the challenges of withdrawal.” Prepare arguments for both sides and engage in a respectful discussion. This activity will enhance your critical thinking and public speaking skills.
With over 7,000 chemicals released each time you light a cigarette, it’s no surprise that smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide. However, with 1.3 billion people actively smoking, what actually happens when you stop?
**Within the first 20 minutes of quitting:** Your blood pressure and heart rate return to normal. This is because nicotine in cigarettes releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, which increase heart rate and narrow blood vessels. As a result, smokers’ extremities often feel colder, but after quitting, your hands and feet return to their normal temperature.
**After 2 hours:** Nicotine cravings begin, which can lead to moodiness, drowsiness, tension, and even difficulty sleeping. This is due to the decrease in dopamine release that nicotine causes.
**After 8 hours:** The inhaled carbon monoxide clears from your system, allowing oxygen levels in the bloodstream to return to normal. Carbon monoxide and oxygen compete to bind to hemoglobin in your blood, so as carbon monoxide clears, there’s more room for oxygen. However, for long-term smokers, carbon monoxide exposure can cause red blood cells to increase in size, leading to thicker blood, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of blood clots.
**Surprisingly, after 24 hours:** Coughing may actually increase as your body works to clear out toxins from the lungs. Additionally, the risk of developing various coronary artery diseases decreases within this time frame.
**After 48 hours:** When nicotine and its metabolites are completely eliminated from your body, damaged nerve endings begin to regrow. The tar and other chemicals in cigarettes have left fewer taste buds, which are flatter and have less blood flow. As these taste buds regain sensitivity, food begins to taste better, although chronic smokers may have irreversibly damaged taste buds.
**At the 72-hour mark:** Nicotine withdrawal peaks, leading to headaches, nausea, cramps, and emotional symptoms like anxiety and depression. These symptoms are common with many addictive substances, including caffeine. However, after this period, the worst is officially over.
**After one month:** The risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases has already decreased.
**In three to nine months:** The damage to the lungs is almost fully repaired, particularly to the cilia, which are hair-like structures that help sweep away dust and debris. As a result, symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath are nearly eliminated.
**Around one year:** The risk of developing heart disease decreases by almost half due to the reduction of fatty deposits and scar tissue in arterial walls.
**In ten years:** The chance of developing lung cancer decreases to half that of someone who did not quit smoking.
**In fifteen years:** The risk of heart attack decreases to the same level as someone who has never smoked in their entire life.
Of course, these guidelines are not definitive, and the amount you smoke per day or year will influence how well your body recovers. Unfortunately, some irreversible damage to the lungs and increased susceptibility to various lung diseases may remain. While quitting can be challenging, the benefits greatly outweigh the initial withdrawal symptoms.
Ultimately, the best way to prevent these issues is to never start smoking at all. If you need extra motivation, check out our videos that might give you the boost you need to kick your habit or focus on other goals you want to accomplish. Feel free to ask us your questions in the comments or on social media, and subscribe for more weekly science videos every Thursday.
Smoking – The act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug. – Smoking can lead to serious health problems, including lung cancer and heart disease.
Nicotine – A toxic and addictive substance found in tobacco plants, often associated with smoking. – Nicotine is the chemical in cigarettes that makes them addictive.
Heart – A muscular organ in the body that pumps blood through the circulatory system. – Regular exercise is important for maintaining a healthy heart.
Blood – The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins, carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body and removing waste products. – Blood tests can help diagnose various health conditions.
Oxygen – A gas that is essential for most forms of life on Earth, used by the body to produce energy. – The lungs are responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide.
Lungs – Two large organs in the chest that are responsible for breathing and exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. – Smoking can damage the lungs and reduce their ability to function properly.
Cravings – A powerful desire for something, often related to food or addictive substances. – People trying to quit smoking often experience strong cravings for nicotine.
Diabetes – A chronic disease that affects how the body processes blood sugar (glucose). – Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help manage diabetes.
Cancer – A disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body. – Early detection of cancer can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment.
Withdrawal – The physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping or reducing intake of a drug. – Nicotine withdrawal can cause irritability and difficulty concentrating.
