In only 20 minutes after giving up
Your blood pressure and your pulse rate return to
normal.
What this means to you:
Raised blood pressure and high
pulse rate both put strain on your heart, increasing your risk of a heart
attack. The minute you stop your risk is reduced.
Only 8 hours after giving up
The carbon monoxide levels in your blood are halved.
What
this means to your health:
Carbon monoxide from smoking can also produce distortions of
time perception, psychomotor and visual impairment and negative effects on
cognitive skill. Reducing the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will reduce
these problems. Carbon monoxide reduces the uptake of oxygen from the lungs -
the higher the levels of carbon monoxide, the lower the levels of oxygen. Oxygen is vital for the
functioning of all energy systems in the body; so as soon as you cut carbon
monoxide levels, you will experience enhanced energy levels.
Just 24 hours after giving up
Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body.
What this
means in plain English:
Look forward to better sports performance, with stronger endurance,
lower levels of fatigue, improved recovery after exercise and a lower heart rate
for each level of exercise. It means being able to walk more than a few steps without getting 'winded'.
In only 48 hours after giving up
Nicotine is eliminated from the body.
What this
means to your comfort:
Nicotine has a number of unpleasant side-effects
on the body. It can act as an emetic (cause vomiting) and it can produce stomach
upsets. It raises blood pressure, and increases the likelihood of hypothermia
and seizures. Get rid of the nicotine and you will get rid of these
symptoms.
As little as 2-21 weeks after giving up
Your circulation improves.
What does this mean to my personal health?
Bad
circulation causes numerous problems, ranging from persistently cold
feet, slow skin healing, Raynaud's disease (painful numbness and loss
of sensation in fingers) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
which can even
lead to limb amputation. Giving up smoking will reduce your risk of most
circulation problems.
(Donna's
note: I actually cared for a woman in the hospital who had
Raynaud's Disease so bad that the tips of three of her fingers on one
hand and four on the other were completely black (necrotic-dead tissue
& muscle), and she cried whenever they were touched or
bumped. It was heartbreaking, and yes, she confessed that she had
been a very heavy smoker. I didn't want to know when the amputations were scheduled.)
After just 1 year
Your risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a
smoker.
What this means to you and your loved ones:
Each year, tobacco smoking accounts
for around 26,000 deaths from coronary heart disease in the UK - approximately
17 percent of all heart disease deaths. The UK has one of the highest heart
disease deaths in the world. From 1995 to 1999 an average of
442,398 Americans died each year of smoking-related illnesses – 33.5 percent of
these deaths were cardiovascular-related. Smoking costs Americans more than
$157 billion annually in health-related economic costs.
Luckily, giving up will quickly start to reduce your risk.
After just 10 years
Your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a
smoker
What this means to your own longevity:
In 1999, 22 percent of all cancer
deaths were due to lung cancer, making it the most common form of cancer death.
Over 80 percent of all lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Each year, more people die prematurely from smoking than die from automobile
accidents, drug abuse, AIDS, and alcohol combined. Giving up is the most important thing
you can do to reduce your risk.
After 15 years - it's like you got a reprieve
Your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has never
smoked.
What this means to you:
A better chance of enjoying a long, healthy
life!
And, yes, it's definitely worth it! Just ask anyone who's gone
through extensive (and expensive) cardiac bypass surgery... was it really worth it to smoke all
those years? I think you know the answer in your heart
already.....
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