What Happens To Your Body When You Quit Smoking: A Timeline

We’re six months into the year, which means anyone who made a New Year’s Resolution to quit smoking will either have successfully beat their addiction or they will still be puffing away, having failed to break the habit. 

Those who haven’t managed to quit shouldn’t feel dismayed, as they are not alone. Only nine per cent of people who write New Year’s Resolutions make them last between six and nine months, and a lower six per cent are able to keep them going up to a year. 

If you didn’t manage to give up smoking but want to have another try, here is a rough timeline of what you can expect to happen to your body after you quit, so you can feel more prepared.

After 20 minutes

In less than the time it takes to watch a sitcom, smokers will find their heart rate return to normal. The nicotine in cigarettes immediately raises heart rate and blood pressure, as the carbon dioxide content means the heart has to beat faster for oxygen to get around the body. 

While most of us know that smoking affects lungs and heart in the long-term, many smokers do not realise it impacts the cardiovascular system every time they light up. 

In just a few hours, carbon monoxide levels in the blood will reduce by half and oxygen levels will begin to recover.

Two to three days

The first few days are definitely the hardest, as withdrawal symptoms kick in at this time. These include feeling grouchy, restless, hungry, depressed, and anxious, as well as having trouble sleeping and finding it hard to concentrate.

So smokers who are really struggling to resist the urge to pick up a cigarette need to remember that by two days, carbon monoxide levels have fallen so they are the same as a non-smoker. 

They might find their sense of taste and smell are already becoming more heightened, as mucus is cleared from the lungs. 

Bronchial tubes start to relax after the three-day mark, which means many people will find it easier to breathe. This will make exercise less challenging, as well as keeping up with your kids. Being able to breathe more easily will help boost energy levels and smokers will start to feel fitter.

Three months

As oxygen levels return to normal, blood is able to pump to the heart and other muscles better. This also means circulation will have improved, fitness levels will increase, sleep will be better, and ex-smokers will start to feel significantly healthier. 

Nine months

Between three and six months, which will be soon for those who quit in January, is when smokers will find any breathing problems they had will be much improved. 

For instance, if they regularly cough or wheeze, these symptoms will soon disappear. This is because lung function will increase by ten per cent by nine months. 

So, if your cough keeps you up at night, if your wheezing gets really bad over the winter, or if you find it hard to take a deep breath, these issues will start to feel a lot better.

One year

The first year after quitting smoking is a significant milestone, as it shows determination, commitment and discipline. 

As well as giving ex-smokers a huge boost with this achievement, reaching one year will also be significant for their physical health too. In fact, after 12 months, the risk of having a heart attack will now be halved compared with a smoker’s. 

According to John Hopkins Medicine, smoking can so much as quadruple the risk of a heart attack, thanks to the build up of plaque, reduced blood flow, damage to the arteries, lower oxygen supply, higher heart rate and blood pressure, and the risk of blood clots.  

A decade

Ten years from now might feel like a lifetime away, but many smokers reach this point in their quitting journey, so there’s no reason why you can’t as well. 

After a decade, the risk of death from lung cancer will be halved compared with a smoker’s. This is hugely significant, as smokers who have more than 25 cigarettes a day are 25 times more likely to get lung cancer. 

Due to the 60 toxic substances found inside cigarettes, smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer. In fact, 70 per cent of cases are smokers.

Quitting smoking can seem like an insurmountable feat, but using effective smoking cessation tools, such as e-liquid vapes, can make the challenge feel much more achievable.