Kare about Health

After 20 minutes

Blood pressure and pulse normalize, blood circulation increases.

After 8 hours

The level of carbon monoxide in the blood falls.

After 48 hours

Carbon monoxide from smoke and nicotine have disappeared completely.

After 2-3 days

Less or no phlegm in the throat, fewer breathing difficulties.

After 5-7 days

Your senses of taste and smell will improve, your breath is fresher, your teeth are cleaner and your energy levels higher.

After 2-3 weeks

Physical withdrawal symptoms will stop, and you can now go several hours without thinking about smoking. Your risk of blood clots (thrombosis ) is reduced.

After 4 weeks

Coughing, blocked sinuses and breathing difficulties should disappear. Less fatigue. More energy. The lungs are better able to resist infection.

After 2-3 months

Lung function improves by 5 per cent.

After 1 year

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is halved.

After 2-3 years

The risk of developing severe pneumonia or flu is the same as for a non-smoker. Your risk of heart disease, angina (chest pains) and stroke continues to fall.

After 5 years

The risk of throat, oesophageal and bladder cancer is halved.

After 5-10 years

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease or thrombosis (blood clots) is the same as for a non-smoker.

After 10 years

The risk of lung cancer is halved. The risk of developing osteoporosis decreases.

After 15-20 years

The risk of lung, throat, oesophageal or bladder cancer is the same as for a non-smoker. But heavy smokers (20 a day) have double the risk of lung cancer for the rest of their lives.

Less stress

Once they have stopped smoking for a few months, heavy smokers tend to rate themselves as less stressed.

There is evidence that nicotine, far from helping relieve stress, may actually cause it in smokers. It’s thought smokers go into nicotine withdrawal between cigarettes, and it’s the satisfaction of the nicotine craving that creates the perception of stress-relief.

More time

The extra time you gain is an advantage that comes as a surprise to many smokers. Most people don’t think about the amount of time and energy they devote to worrying about where and when to buy tobacco, buying it, going to smoke and smoking.

More money

Someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes per day can save close to $2,000 a year by quitting! What could you do with an extra two grand?!

Sense of achievement

It’s incredibly satisfying to set a goal and then achieve it, particularly when the journey is a difficult one and you’ve had to overcome obstacles. Many ex-smokers are rightly proud of their achievement in staying quit, and this feeling of success can be great for your self-esteem.

Gaining control

One of the most difficult things about stopping smoking is learning how to resist the urge to smoke. When you first stop you’ll find cravings come regularly, but usually disappear within a couple of minutes.

Craving is a bit like a well-developed muscle – once you stop using the muscle, it will eventually wither or shrink. You help this process every time you conquer a craving. By learning to cope with cravings, you win on all fronts: the cravings subside and you start to regain control over your addiction.

The Great American Smokeout is Thursday. The American Cancer Society has sponsored this for more than 30 years.  In today’s Arizona Daily Star, Stephen Michael, director of the Arizona Smoker’s Helpline (ASHLine) at the UA College of Public Health, wrote an opinion article on how the smoker’s helpline can help. I had no idea there was such a comprehensive quit program available there. If you want to stop smoking — even if you have tried before (did you know that it takes an average of 4 attempts?) — you would be foolish not to call the ASHLine for help. It’s free. What have you got to lose? And so much to gain…

“You Can Do IT! We Can Help!”

Call 1-800-556-6222 or go to www.ashline.org