What happens in the body after quitting smoking?

Millions of people continue to smoke although experiments have proven that smoking damages the lungs, heart and other organs, and increases the risk of cancer.

So what happens in the body after quitting smoking?

The first positive changes appear after 20 minutes of smoking the last cigarette. Heart rate decreases, and the level of blood pressure returns to normal. Because nicotine makes the heart beat faster and blood vessels contract, it stimulates the release of the hormone adrenaline.

But these changes depend on the duration of a person's smoking. Because long-term smoking causes damage to the cardiovascular muscle, which threatens tachycardia. In addition, long-term smoking contributes to the development of high blood pressure, so smokers are more likely to develop myocardial infarction.

After 8 hours of the last cigarette, the level of oxygen in the blood will begin to rise and the level of toxic carbon monoxide will almost halve. Carbon monoxide (tasteless and odorless gas) is formed when burning tobacco containing carbon, replacing oxygen in the blood when smoking. As a result, lung function weakens, the heart begins to work harder, and cells and tissues lack the oxygen they need, which may lead to a stroke or myocardial infarction.

After 48 hours, two days without cigarettes, the person will be surprised by the extent to which the usual cheese sandwich he eats at breakfast tastes, when the taste and smell sensations recover. Because smoking can damage the olfactory nerves in the nose, making it difficult for smokers to discern smells and taste.

In addition, during this period the body fully cleans carbon monoxide, and the respiratory tract begins to phase out the mucus accumulated in it.

After 72 hours of smoking the last cigarette, three days later, breathing will be easy, because the alveoli and trachea - parts of the respiratory tract that irritate their lining and are damaged by smoke - begin to recover. A person will feel more active as the level of oxygen in the blood rises.