Living Without Tobacco
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Physical Effects of Quitting
As soon as you quit you are turning your health around. Many health problems related to tobacco use begin to weaken.
A few days into your withdrawal from nicotine, the nervousness, irritation, stress and sleep problems should back off. In
their place you’ll enjoy more energy and better breathing. Your complexion will improve and so will your outlook.
P
M
A
S
For the record, here are the immediate
and long-term health improvements.
AFTER:
20 minutes Your heart rate and blood pressure drop. (American Heart Association, 2009)
12 hours The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1988)
A few daysBreathing becomes easier, and the senses of smell and taste improve. (American Heart Association, 2009)
A few weeks Inflammation related to heart disease decreases greatly. (Chest, 2009)
2-3 months Your lung function improves up to 30%. (American Heart Association, 2009)
1 year The excess risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by 50%. (American Heart Association, 2009)
5-15 years Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-tobacco user. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990)
10 years Your risk of getting lung cancer is 30%-50% below that of a person who continues to use tobacco;
your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that. Your risk of other cancers decreases too. (American Heart Association, 2009)
15 years Your risk of coronary heart disease is equal to that of a person who never used tobacco. (American
Heart Association, 2009)
If you have a chronic illness, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or a breathing problem,
quitting will quickly improve your symptoms.
How To Feel Better Without Nicotine
Indulge in healthy pleasures.
One reason quitting tobacco is hard is
that you just feel crummy at first. That’s
partly the result of purging the nicotine from your
system – the worst feelings will be gone within a
couple of weeks. You can gain physical and emotional
vitality in simple ways, the key is to do something for
the pure pleasure of it.
Spend time with people who make you laugh.
Listen to music. Turn on your creativity.
Focus on fun. Fit in a few minutes of quiet time.
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