7 Health Benefits Of Quitting Smoking That Your Body Will Feel Within 4 Weeks

It would be extremely difficult for a smoker to plead ignorance to the myriad of reasons why they should quit, and the ravaging effects that smoking has on the human body. Indeed in this day and age even the cigarette packets themselves feature health warnings and gruesome images of what all that smoke is doing to the smoker’s insides.

So, with this knowledge of all that is wrong with smoking, why is it that smokers continue to smoke?

Well one reason may be that they may are unaware that (for the most part) all that damage is reversible. In fact as this quit timeline shows, within 15 years of stopping even the risks of the most serious illnesses are greatly reduced.

But a smoker who resolves to quit does not have to wait years, or even months to feel the benefits of refraining from smoking. The human body is an incredible machine and will start to heal and regenerate itself quite quickly once it has the chance.

Here are 7 health benefits of quitting smoking that a former smoker will feel within just 4 weeks.

1. Heart rate will return to normal

A smoker’s resting heart rate is elevated beyond that of a non smoker. Additionally a smoker’s heart rate can be lower during exercise (when heart rate needs to rise to pump additional blood) than that a non-smoker.

Incredibly, within just 30 minutes of stopping a smoker’s resting heart rate will start to drop and return towards normal levels.

2. Blood pressure will return to normal

Smoking raises blood pressure, but within just 2 hours of their final cigarette, a smoker’s blood pressure will return to normal levels.

3. The body will rid itself of Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is one of the deadliest chemicals inhaled with cigarette smoke.

Carbon Monoxide bonds with blood cells, which in turn prevents those cells bonding with Oxygen. This lack of Oxygen in the blood can often result in a smoker feeling constantly tired and lethargic. It may also make exercise difficult.

Fortunately the level of Carbon Monoxide in the body will start to drop around 12 hours after a smoker’s last cigarette and correspondingly Oxygen levels in the blood will increase.

4. The risk of heart attack will start to fall

Smoker’s are considered to be at a high risk of heart attack, however, with just one day of smoking abstinence that risk will start to fall.

5. Nerve endings will start to regrow

The chemicals in cigarette smoke damage nerve endings and inhibit senses such as smell and taste.

After 2 days without a cigarette the damaged nerve endings will start to regrow and an ex-smoker should start to see improvements in these previously dulled senses.

In fact many smokers who quit report actually going on to be repulsed by the smell of cigarette smoke, which they were previously immune to.

6. The body becomes completely free of nicotine

Most people who quit smoking will find that withdrawal symptoms peak around the third day since they stopped. The reason for this is that after 3 days (when going cold turkey) the body is completely free of nicotine.

The withdrawal symptoms are the bodies way of desparately trying to get another nicotine fix and it is important for a smoker who is resolved to quit to stay strong at this stage. For most quitters these symptoms fade within the first couple of weeks.

7. Lungs will start to heal themselves

Within 4 weeks of quitting, a smoker’s lungs will begin to repair themselves.

Breathing will be improved, any smoking related cough should clear up and the lungs will also start to regain the ability to self clean – removing any excess mucus from the airwaves.

This clearing of the lungs should allow former smokers to take part in aerobic activities, which may have previously been a struggle.

Of course the ability to take part in regular exercise again will bring a huge number of additional health benefits beyond those of the body recovering from smoke damage.

Longer Term

All of these health benefits will be felt within the first month of a smoker giving up cigarettes. The longer they refrain from smoking, the more health benefits they will receive and within just a year of quitting, their risk of heart attack will be halved.

As they continue their new life without smoking, their risks of major illnesses and diseases such as heart disease and lung cancer will continue to fall towards the levels of someone who had never smoked.

It is for this reason that the sooner a smoker gives us the better and, even someone who has been a heavy smoker all their lives, can begin to reverse the damage they have done to their body and go on to live a happier, healthier life without smoke.