When you quit smoking, the health benefits start right away. Learn how the health benefits increase over time.
After 20 minutes
Your circulation improves.
Your blood pressure and heart rate get lower. This means your risk of a heart attack starts to reduce.
After 8 hours
The nicotine and carbon monoxide (CO) levels in your blood go down and the oxygen level rises.
After 48 hours
The nicotine and carbon monoxide (CO) leave your body. Your sense of smell and taste starts to improve.
If you get in-person support, your advisor can do a breath test to measure your CO level.
After 72 hours
Your breathing improves and your energy levels increase.
See if you notice the difference when you are active.
You may notice the start of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and irritability. But these symptoms do not last long.
Cravings and withdrawal when you stop smoking
1 week
Problems with concentration improve as your brain gets used to lower levels of nicotine.
Other nicotine withdrawal symptoms will start to improve soon.
2 weeks
Symptoms of nicotine withdrawal start to improve, such as:
- anxiety
- feeling restless
- sleep problems
- headaches
- low energy
- constipation
- nausea
Talk to a stop smoking advisor or a pharmacist if sleep problems do not stop and you use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
4 weeks
Physical cravings for nicotine go away and you feel less irritable.
But keep using your NRT for the recommended time. This is usually 8 to 12 weeks.
After 2 to 3 months
Your lung capacity could increase by up to 30%.
You may see improvements in your skin, hair and appetite.
After 6 months
You are less likely to cough up phlegm.
From time to time, you may unexpectedly want to smoke.
Remind yourself of:
- your reasons for quitting
- all the benefits to your health, finances and family
After 1 year
Your chance of having a heart attack drops by half.
After 5 years
The risk of smoking-related cancers is greatly reduced.
After 10 years
The risk of lung cancer is reduced by half.
After 15 years
The risk of having a heart attack is the same level as a non-smoker.
If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day, a mugful of tar builds up in your lungs over a year. The toxic chemicals in this tar cause cancer. When you give up smoking, your lungs quickly begin to heal and get better at removing tar.