How long will it take to recover from smoking?
While smoking can do great damage to the human body, recovery is more than possible. The following list charts the recovering from smoking from 20 minutes after stopping, all the way to 20 years.
20 Minutes
Blood pressure, pulse rate and temperature of your hands and feet will have returned to normal.
8 Hours
The remaining nicotine in your bloodstream has fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, that's a 93.75% reduction.
12 Hours
Your blood oxygen level has increased to normal, carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal too.
24 Hours
Anxieties have peaked in intensity although within two weeks these should return to pre-quitting levels.
48 Hours
Damaged nerve endings have begun to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are returning to normal.
72 Hours
Your entire body will now be 100% nicotine-free and 90% of the nicotine metabolites will now have passed from your body via urine. Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including restlessness.
5 to 8 Days
The average exsmoker will encounter an average of three crave episodes per day. It is unlikely that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes and should get shorter as time goes by.
10 Days
The average ex-user is down to less than two crave episodes per day, each less than 3 minutes.
10 Days to 2 Weeks
Recovery has likely progressed to the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood circulation in your gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
2 to 4 Weeks
Quitting related anger, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, reletnessness and depression should have ended.
2 Weeks to 3 Months
Your risk of a heart attack has started to drop, your lung function is beginning to improve.
21 Days
Receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brain of non-smokers.
3 Weeks to 3 Months
Your circulation has substantially improved and walking has become easier. Any chronic cough has likely disappeared. If any cough continues, see a doctor.
8 Weeks
Insulin resistance in ex-smokers will have normalized despite an average weight gain of 2.7kg.
1 to 9 Months
Any smoking related sinus congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath has decreased. Cilia have regrown in your lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus. Your body's overall energy has also increased.
1 Year
Your risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of someone who still smokes.
5 Years
Risk of a subarachanoid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of your risk while still smoking. For female ex-smokers, your risk of developing diabetes is now that of a non-smoker.
5 to 15 Years
Your risk of stroke has declined to that of a non-smoker.
10 Years
Your risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker. Risk of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average smoker. Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus and pancreas have declined. Risk of developing diabetes for both men and women is now similar to that of a never-smoker.
13 Years
The average smoker who is able to live to the age of 75 has 5.8 fewer teeth than a non-smoker. By 13 years after quitting your risk of smoking induced tooth loss has declined to that of a never-smoker.
15 Years
Your risk of coronary heart disease is now that of a person who has never smoked. Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker.
20 Years
Female excess risk of death from all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer has now reduced to that of a never-smoker. Risk of pancreatic cancer has declined to that of a never-smoker.
If you need professional advice on giving up smoking, visit the NHS Smokefree website here
Content provided by the WhyQuit.com