Page last updated: 18 Dec 2018
What happens after you quit smoking?
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20 minutes
- Blood pressure returns to normal.
- Pulse drops to normal.
- Body temperature of hands and feet return to normal.
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1 hour
- Your resting heart rate and blood pressure begin to decrease.
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4 hours
- Breath becomes fresher.
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8 hours
- Levels of the toxic gas carbon monoxide in blood drops to normal.
- Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
- Within 8 hours your finger tips are warmer and excess carbon monoxide has left your blood.
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12 hours
- Almost all of the nicotine is out of your system.
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24 hours
- Chance of heart attack begins to decrease.
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48 hours
- Nerve endings start to regrow.
- Ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
- You will notice your hair and clothes smell fresher as your sense of smell and taste improves.
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5 days
- Most nicotine by-products have left your body.
- Your liver and kidneys are working more efficiently.
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1 week
- Your lungs' natural cleaning system starts to heal and become better at eliminating tobacco toxins.
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1 month
- Circulation improves.
- Lung function increases up to 30%.
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3 months
- The tobacco stains on your fingers begin to fade.
- Skin appearance begins to improve.
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9 months
- Coughing, sinus congestion, and shortness of breath all decrease.
- Cilia begins to regrow in the lungs, increasing ability to "clean lungs".
- The body's overall energy increases.
- Your lungs are producing less mucus and functioning more efficiently.
- Immune system is better at fighting off colds and flu. You are likely to be experiencing less coughing.
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1 year
- Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
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5 years
- Lung cancer risk decreases by almost half.
- Stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5-15 years after quitting.
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10 years
- Lung cancer risk is similar to that of non-smokers.
- Pre-cancerous cells are replaced by healthy cells.
- Risk of other cancers decrease.
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15 years
- Risk of a heart attack and stroke is almost the same as that of a non-smoker.