We all know that smoking is a bad habit, yes, but there are too many smokers who ignore the health warning.
Well, we can’t entirely blame them because this is exactly what cigarettes do: get you so hooked that you’d rather compromise on your health than quit the cancer sticks.
It not only affects your lung function, but also severely affects blood circulation which in turn has life-threatening consequences for you. The heart is burdened, your skin sags which makes you look old and your chances of cancer increase.
That’s exactly why, no matter how long you’ve been smoking for, you need to quit right this minute.
While we know that quitting cigarettes will be helpful, most of us don’t know how it can help us.
Hence, we bring to you this list of 11 wonderful things that will happen when you quit the cancer sticks:
1. Your smoker’s cough will disappear
Smoker’s cough is irritating but also a very common feature when you smoke regularly. Dr. Sanjay Sethi of the University of Buffalo has stated that, “People tend to just call it smoker’s cough, but it’s actually bronchitis.”
“It is brought from the inflammation and an increase in mucus production in the airways as a result of smoke in the area. That starts to decline in a couple of weeks people will have less coughing sputum.” Hence, leaving smoking means that you’re also going to leave that persistent smoker’s cough behind.
2. Your heart will be less burdened just half a day in
Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level will reduce and your heart won’t have to pump blood as hard for oxygen to reach all your body parts. There will be less burden on it and, obviously, it will be able to function better this way.
3. How you taste and smell things will get much better within two days.
Smoking attacks your nerve endings which means that your senses of taste and smell decline over time.
As we all know, the hindrance of even one sense can affect the way you perceive the world and going without smoking for two days will begin the healing process of your nerve endings, bringing back better sense of taste and smell.
4. You’ll suddenly have more energy
A lot of people who are in the process of leaving cigarettes will tell you that there’s a sudden burst of energy they experience. This happens because three days in to quitting cigarettes, you breathe easier.
5. Your chances of a heart-related disease go down by half
Smokers are at a great risk of ending up with heart-related diseases over time. A year into leaving smoking, your chances of being affected by a heart disease will go down by half.
6. You’ll be able to exercise without running out of breath
A month in to quitting smoking, your lung capacity improves.
This would be a good time to incorporate some exercise in your routine, especially because you won’t be running out of breath, and will be able to indulge in more physical activity, which, in turn, will improve the circulation of blood.
7. The smell of your breath will improve
Smoking, even if it hasn’t caused stains, makes your teeth yellow. Moreover, it also affects your breath.
To make matters worse, smokers are at a greater risk of infections in the mouth. Once you quit smoking, the natural colour of your teeth will be restored, your mouth will smell better and you’ll be at a reduced risk of infections.
8. Your skin will glow
Smoking can give a much duller look to the skin and make you look much older than you actually are.
According to a study published in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine it was noted that the skin appears to glow just a month after you leave smoking.
9. Your nails will stop looking yellow
Nails of fingers smokers use to hold the cigarette will lose the yellow stain over time. Nicotine and smoke are the culprits and when you leave them behind, you’ll have healthier as well as better looking nails.
10. The colour of your lips improves
The smoke from the cigarette, along with the suppression of blood circulation, means that your lips will get dark over time. While quitting might not entirely improve the colour, it will definitely get better.
11. Risk of lung cancer will go down by half in 10 years
It will take at least 10 years for your chances of lung cancer to come down to a point where they’re half of what the chances are for a non-smoker.
