Smoking causes 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and at least 80 percent of deaths from emphysema and chronic bronchitis, according to the American Lung Association. It also increases the risk of developing heart disease and a number of other health problems. When you quit smoking, however, your health begins to improve almost immediately. "The body starts to repair itself within 24 hours of giving up smoking," according to Norman Edelman, M.D., chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.
Heart
Your blood pressure will return to normal 20 minutes after you quit smoking, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Two weeks to three months after you quit, your risk of having a heart attack will start to decline. If you go one year without starting to smoke again, your smoking-related risk of developing coronary heart disease will drop to half the risk of someone who smokes, the AHA notes. After 15 years, it will be the same as that of a nonsmoker.
Lungs
The function and capacity of your lungs will start to improve two weeks to three months after you quit smoking. "If you have a smoker's cough or shortness of breath when you exercise, that should start to get better one to nine months after you give up smoking," says the American Lung Association's Edelman. Most important, your risk of dying from lung cancer after 10 years of going smoke-free will be half that of a smoker.
Weight
The average person who quits smoking gains 4 to 10 lbs. due to a dip in metabolism and other factors, according to a report by the University of South Florida's Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. However, the same report notes that most people lose the extra weight six months after giving up smoking. A 2009 study in Europe found that ex-smokers who once smoked every day showed no more weight gain than never-smokers a decade later.
Taste
The toxins in cigarettes dampen taste and smell, but these senses will return to normal a few weeks after you quit smoking. Kicking the smoking habit also will increase your odds of enjoying food as you age by keeping all your teeth, as smoking increases the risk of dental problems and gum disease.
Other Changes
The American Academy of Dermatology reports that giving up smoking will help the look and health of your skin because smoking contributes to premature wrinkling. Your mood may improve, too. In a study of 1,000 adults published in the June 2010 "British Journal of Psychiatry," smokers were more than twice as likely to be depressed as nonsmokers. You'll also slash your risk of getting cancer of the mouth, throat or esophagus to half that of a smoker after you've been smoke-free for five to 15 years, according to the American Lung Association.
References
- Dr. Norman Edelman, M.D.; chief medical officer, American Lung Association; Washington, D.C.
- American Heart Association: Quit Smoking
- American Lung Association: Benefits of Quitting
- Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute: Forever Free - A Guide To Remaining Smoke Free (PDF)
- "Scandinavian Journal of Public Health," Changes in Body Mass Index for Daily, Never and Former Smokers; D.L. Reas; Sept. 2009
