No one has to tell us that smoking is an unhealthy habit, we know! Still, there are quite a few people who regularly reach for nicotine sticks. And that nicotine works on your nervous system, making it difficult to quit smoking. But what actually happens if you do take that step?
Chemicals
When you smoke, thousands of chemicals are released into your body. Anyone who thinks this is only harmful to the lungs is wrong. These chemicals are also very harmful to your heart. The carbon monoxide deprives your red blood cells of oxygen, while they normally carry that oxygen to cells in your body. Carbon monoxide binds to your red blood cells. As a result, your body has to work harder for more oxygen, which is pretty bad for your heart.
Better functioning fibers
There is, however, a bright spot. Even if you smoke for years, you can reverse its unhealthy effects and quickly see the health benefits. Quitting smoking always makes sense! You can feel noticeable effects in your body after twenty minutes (!) Your blood pressure and heart rate then drop again and your bronchial tubes are relieved. Air enters the bronchi from your trachea. If you constantly expose your lungs to smoke, the fibers in the bronchi don’t move as well. Those fibers help move irritants and bacteria into your lungs, reducing the chance of an infection. If you stop smoking, those fibers function better and you actually have a lot less chance of infections.
Later Effects
If you haven’t smoked for twenty-four hours, your lungs will continue to clear. By this time, the carbon monoxide will be completely out of your body and you’re probably starting to cough up phlegm. After two to twelve weeks your lung function and circulation will have improved, after a year you will have less to worry about cardiovascular disease. The risk of this has already been halved. You will probably notice that you can breathe easier with exertion and that you cough a lot less.
After 15 years of smoking cessation, the risk of cardiovascular disease has dropped significantly. So is the risk of heart attack or stroke. The chance of any of these things is now as high as that of someone who has never smoked. Fifteen years is a real milestone when you have stopped smoking. Cheers!
Source: Tips and Facts | Image: Sex and the City