Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Generality

The benefits of quitting smoking are the set of positive effects that the definitive cessation of tobacco consumption entails in the individual smoker.
Quitting smoking is beneficial for the whole organism. In fact, cardiovascular problems, lung health, the appearance of the skin, teeth and mouth, the vitality of the scalp and the strength of the skeleton progressively improve. Furthermore, the risk of developing numerous neoplasms and chronic lung diseases gradually decreases.
For some improvements, it takes time (even 20 years); for others, a few hours or days are enough.

Damage from Smoking

The benefits of quitting smoking are the set of positive consequences that the cessation of tobacco consumption has on the health of the smoker.
They affect the organism as a whole: some organs and tissues show improvement after a short time (in the order of days or weeks), while others need several months (if not years).

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SMOKE DAMAGES

Before proceeding with the description of the benefits of quitting smoking, it is advisable to review what are the harm of smoking, that is, the harmful consequences of continued consumption of tobacco on the health of the body.
Smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes harm:

• The cardiovascular system. The toxic substances of smoke have various consequences on blood vessels and on the heart: they induce a narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), a rise in blood pressure (it is the next step to vasoconstriction), a marked tendency of the blood to form blood clots (thickening of the blood), a persistent increase in heart rate, a predisposition to the formation of atheromatous plaques (atherosclerosis), a reduction in the levels of oxygen carried by the blood hemoglobin and, finally, coronary heart disease (ie coronary arteries that "feed" the heart).
  Together, all of these consequences favor stroke and heart attack.
  
• The lungs and respiratory airways. The respiratory airways of a healthy individual produce mucus and are covered with vibrating cilia. Mucus and vibrating cilia work together to eliminate debris and dangerous substances, which enter the lungs with breathing.
  The toxic substances and carcinogens of smoke progressively destroy the aforementioned eyelashes and this involves the failure to expel the mucus, which in the meantime continues to be loaded with debris and dangerous substances (including the "poisons" of the smoke itself). Mucus filled with debris is harmful to the respiratory airways and lungs. In fact, it is responsible for numerous diseases, some of which are also serious such as pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
  
• The esophagus-stomach digestive tract. Smoking progressively weakens the internal mucosa of the stomach, making it more susceptible to acid substances that normally reside in the stomach. All this makes the smoker tend to suffer from peptic ulcers and have a marked predisposition to stomach cancer.
  At the esophageal level, the toxic substances of smoke favor the onset of a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease. Following a deterioration of the cardial sphincter (or lower esophageal sphincter), located between the esophagus and stomach, gastroesophageal reflux disease consists of chronic ascent, inside the esophagus, of the acidic contents of the stomach.
  In the long run, the continuous ascent of acid substances in the esophagus damages the esophageal wall and induces the development of neoplasms.
  
• The mouth and throat (oropharyngeal tract). In the mouth and throat, smoking is responsible for: bad breath, stained teeth, gingivitis, decreased sense of taste, lip tumors, tongue tumors, larynx tumors, vocal cord tumors and throat tumors.
  To get an idea of ​​how high the harmful impact of smoking is on the mouth-throat tract, the following statistics are reported: 93% of oropharyngeal cancers are caused by smoking.
  
• Skin. The "poisons" of smoke reduce the oxygenation of the skin. This has a series of consequences: it accelerates skin aging, dries up and makes the skin yellow, promotes the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.
  
• The scalp. A smoker's hair tends to be duller and more brittle than a non-smoker's hair. This is caused by the vasoconstrictive effect of smoking, which reduces the oxygenation of the scalp.
  
• The "reproductive system. In" man, the toxic substances of smoking can affect erectile ability (causing impotence in the most serious cases) and the production of spermatozoa.
  In women, they can predispose to: decreased fertility, decreased ability to have an orgasm, the appearance of cervical cancer, papilloma virus infections, early menopause and pregnancy problems (spontaneous abortion, death at birth of the child, death in cradle, premature birth, congenital defects, etc.).
  
• The brain. Smoking increases the risk of stroke and brain aneurysms.
  As regards stroke in particular, it should be borne in mind that smoking increases the probability of suffering from stroke by a good 50% and doubles the risk of death following an episode.
  
• Bones. Several studies have shown that, compared to non-smokers, smokers have a greater predisposition to osteoporosis.
  Osteoporosis is a systemic disease of the skeleton, which causes a strong weakening of the bones. The weakening arises from the reduction of bone mass, which, in turn, is a consequence of the deterioration of the microarchitecture of the bone tissue.
  
• Other organs. Cancers of the kidneys, bladder and pancreas can develop due to smoking.

Benefits of quitting smoking

The benefits of quitting smoking are numerous.
In fact, quitting tobacco consumption involves:

• An improvement in breathing capacity. It is the result of a healing process of the lung tissue, which begins one month after the last cigarette and can last, in severe cases, up to 9 months.
  During this process, the vibrating cilia system returns to normal and the cough problem resolves progressively (NB: in smokers, cough is a physiological response of the body to the inability to expel mucus through the cilia, which do not work. properly).
  Ex-smokers feel that their lung capacities have improved when exercising: on such occasions, their breathing is much easier than when they smoked.
  
• An improvement in the cardiocirculatory function. Already after 20 minutes from the last cigarette, the vasoconstrictive effect of nicotine is reduced and blood pressure and heart rate begin to assume values ​​closer to normal.
  After 12 hours, the oxygen levels in the blood are almost equal to those of a person who has never smoked.
  Therefore, as the days go by, physical performance improves visibly: walking briskly, running and making other physical efforts is progressively easier.
  
• A sensitive skin rejuvenation. If blood circulation improves, it also improves oxygenation of the body's tissues. Obviously (also) the skin benefits from it, which rejuvenates, improves wrinkles and loses that yellowish color typical of smokers.
  
• An improvement in the appearance of the teeth and the quality of the breath. It takes time for the teeth to return to an almost normal color; the smell of the breath, on the other hand, improves in a short time.
  
• A reduction in the predisposition to various types of neoplasms, infectious diseases and lung diseases. Scientific studies have shown that 5-10 years after the last cigarette, ex-smokers are 50% less likely than when they smoked, to develop tumors in the following anatomical sites: mouth, throat, bladder, esophagus and lungs .
  As far as infectious diseases are concerned, there is a significant reduction in the tendency to contract the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a pathogen that promotes the development of peptic ulcers.
  Finally, the progressive healing of the lung tissue and the reformation of the cilia reduce the risk of pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and asthma. Medical investigations have recently shown that, after 20 years, the lungs of an ex-smoker have completely healed and can be considered the same as those of an individual who has never smoked.
  
• A reduction in the likelihood of suffering from a heart attack and / or stroke. The improvement in blood circulation also implies a greater fluidity of the blood and a lower tendency to the formation of atheromatous plaques. All this translates into a lower risk of occlusion of the coronary arteries and the arteries that oxygenate the brain.
  According to various scientific researches, it takes between 5 and 15 years for an ex-smoker's predisposition to suffer from heart disease and stroke to be comparable to that of a person who has never smoked.
  
• An increase in fertility. It is a benefit that mainly affects women, who are more likely to get pregnant and carry pregnancies successfully.
  
• An improvement in sex life. The man improves his erectile abilities, thanks to a more effective blood circulation in the vessels that reach the penis.
  The woman regains the normal ability to reach orgasm during sexual intercourse.
  From all this derives an improvement in the life of the couple.
  
• An improvement in the sense of taste and smell. With the "progressive elimination from the body of the" poisons "of smoke, we begin to perceive smells better and to appreciate foods better. This can be a pleasure for life, especially in the case of heavy smokers, who have a sense of taste. almost asleep.
  The recovery of smell and the recovery of taste are among the benefits with the earliest appearance: an ex-smoker can feel the improvement already after 48 hours.
  
• Failure to expose friends, family and acquaintances to so-called passive smoking. For those who are not yet aware of it, secondhand smoke has a devastating impact on the health of the body and can be as lethal as active smoking.
  For this reason, it is our duty to include it among the benefits of quitting smoking.
  

What happens to your body when a smoker stops smoking

Time since the last cigarette Effects 20 minutes Blood pressure returns to normal, as does heart rate. 2 hours The first signs of nicotine withdrawal begin to appear 12 hours The level of oxygen in the blood returns to assume a value very close to normal. Carbon monoxide - a "poison" of smoke that mixes with the blood - drops to acceptable levels, as far as human health is concerned. 48 hours Smell and taste improve significantly. 72 hours (3 days) The body has eliminated all the nicotine present in its organs and tissues. It is at this moment that the acute phase of nicotine withdrawal begins.
The main symptoms of the latter consist of: irrepressible desire to smoke, irritability, nausea, stomach cramps, anger, anxiety, depression and difficulty concentrating. 5-8 days Smoking cravings last longer than 3 minutes. 10 days Smoking cravings last less than 3 minutes. 2-4 weeks The symptoms of nicotine withdrawal have almost completely disappeared. 2 weeks - 3 months The risk of a heart attack begins to subside. 3 weeks - 3 months The cardiocirculatory function shows the first noticeable signs of improvement. It is easier to walk briskly, run, and make efforts. 1 month The healing process of the lung tissue begins, with the re-formation of the vibrating cilia within the respiratory airways.
In severe cases, it takes about 9 months for the lungs to be comparable to those of a person who has never smoked.
There is a progressive improvement of the cough, until its complete exhaustion. 12 years The risk of heart disease and stroke was reduced by 50%. 5 - 15 years The risk of stroke is comparable to that of an individual who has never smoked in life. 10 years The risk of throat, mouth, esophagus, bladder, pancreas and lung cancers was reduced by 50%. 15 years The risk of getting pancreatic cancer is comparable to that of a person who has never smoked. 20 years The risk of developing lung cancer or any other serious lung disease is equal to that of a person who has never smoked.