Stop Smoking Timeline: Reap the Health Benefits of Stoptober
Everyone knows that quitting smoking has a number of health benefits, but what are they exactly? Here at Blackstone Labs we know that it’s difficult to sift through the mumbo jumbo and find out what is actually happening with our health. The advent of Stoptober brings with it an invitation for everyone to take a closer look at their health, and to examine what their current habits can mean for them in years to come. In this article, we break down the short term and long term benefits of breaking your nicotine addiction for good, so that you can make informed decisions about your health.
Our customers report that the first few days after they’ve quit smoking can feel like a lifetime. This article tells you what to expect in the minutes, hours, and days after you have had your last cigarette. It can be helpful to know that your cravings are caused by biological reactions rather than an innate need for nicotine.
There are a few approaches available for people who want to stop smoking. The first is what quitters call ‘cold turkey’. This involves stamping out your last cigarette butt and never looking back. People who go cold turkey can often grapple with the intense nicotine withdrawal symptoms that can start to impact them as soon as a day after their last cigarette.
Your Stop Smoking Timeline
20 minutes–
Nicotine is so detrimental to your health that you will experience improvements in as short a time frame as twenty minutes. Your bronchial tubes will begin to recover almost immediately. When you inhale smoke, the fibres in your bronchial tubes stiffen, and are unable to move as freely as they normally would. These fibres play a vital role in removing harmful bacteria from your lungs, which in turn reduces the chance of infection. After twenty minutes without nicotine, the fibres in these tubes regain their flexibility. In addition to this, your pulse rate will begin to return to normal just twenty minutes into your Stoptober 2020 journey.
8 hours –
Nicotine produces a harmful amount of carbon monoxide which works to replace the oxygen particles in your lungs. This causes circulation issues because your tissues are unable to get the appropriate amount of oxygen. After 8 hours, the amount of harmful carbon monoxide in your bloodstream has been reduced by half. At this point, many people begin to experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms which include anxiety, depression, and irritability. This is one of the main smoking triggers that causes ex-smokers to relapse.
24 hours –
A day is all it takes to reverse the short term effects of smoking. Although there are still remnants of nicotine in your lungs, you are well on your way to becoming nicotine free. As a result, there is more oxygen in your lungs and tissues, your arteries and veins are not as constricted, and your heart is working more effectively to pump blood around your body. One day is a massive achievement, because your risk of having a heart attack has already decreased.
48 hours –
Two days into your Stoptober 2020 journey marks the official beginning of your carbon monoxide free life. This harmful chemical is no longer present in your lungs.Because of this development, the mucus in your lungs is being cleaned out, and will no longer be replaced by the new onslaught of nicotine that would occur if you were still a smoker. Newly free of carbon monoxide, the stunted nerve endings in your lungs are beginning to regrow. Most people notice that their sense of taste and smell returns at the two-day mark.
72 hours –
Even better news for your bronchial tubes, they’re relaxing and expanding more than ever. A mere three days after you had your last cigarette you can breathe easy, because your lung capacity has increased.
1 week –
One week is an important milestone for all ex-smokers.Many people stay on track by taking their new nicotine free lifestyle one day at a time. But once you’ve reached the one week mark it’s time to look towards all of the health benefits that you can expect to experience in the future, because people who have successfully quit smoking for a week are nine times more likely to kick the habit for good. Your body no longer craves tobacco, which means that continuing to stop smoking for good is a case of mind over matter.
2 weeks –
Your body is slowly acclimatising to its new healthier life, and every area of it reaps the benefits of a life without nicotine. Smoking can affect your body in ways that might not be obvious at first. Any tissues in your mouth which have been damaged by smoke can now begin their road to recovery.
2-12 weeks–
Before switching to vaping, a lot of our customers complain about their poor circulation, unaware that nicotine is to blame. The good news is that some ex-smokers can feel the improvement in their circulation after just 2 weeks of sticking to their Stoptober 2020 challenge. Your lung function can also increase by up to 30% in this timeframe, which means that you can regain some of the mobility you lost to cigarettes.
3 months –
The fact that smoking can negatively impact a woman’s ability to conceive a child comes as a shock to some smokers. But after just three months of quitting nicotine for good a woman’s fertility has drastically improved. What’s more, there is less chance of babies being born prematurely to women who have not smoked for three months or more.
3-9 months –
Between three and nine months, your lung function increases by up to 10%, which can help to combat any breathing issues that you are experiencing.
6 months –
Here at Blackstone Labs , we firmly believe that ex-smokers should be proud of every milestone along their journey. Six months is no exception. This timeframe marks the moment when your lungs and airways have not had to deal with the toxic and inflammatory effects of smoking cigarettes for half a year. You will experience fewer coughing fits and you are less prone to coughing up phlegm.
1 year –
One-year smoke free means that your chance of having a heart attack has been reduced by 50% compared to the chances of someone who is still smoking. Your lung capacity and functionality has drastically improved, your circulation is better than it has been for years, and you can look forward to a brighter future with less chances of nicotine related health complications.
3 years –
Your risk of a heart attack is similar to that of someone who does not smoke. Smoke cannot damage the lining of your arteries like it did when you were a smoker, meaning that you are no longer at risk of a heart attack from smoking related causes.
5 years –
Another positive milestone! Your risk of developing cancer is half of what it was when you still smoked.
10 years –
At this point, smoking is just a distant memory. Despite having felt the benefits of kicking the habit, there are a few more plus points yet to come. Ten years after your last cigarette you risk of dying due to lung cancer has reduced to that of someone who has never smoked. Any precancerous cells in your lungs have been replaced with healthy cells. You are less at risk of developing smoking-related cancers of the mouth, oesophagus, bladder, kidneys, and pancreas.
15 years –
Your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke has developed to that of someone who has never smoked a day in their life before.
Stoptober at Blackstone Labs
Here at Blackstone Labs , we believe that every nicotine free milestone should be celebrated. We’re proud to be part of a community of ex-smokers who support people who are just dipping their toes into a world without nicotine.
We know that quitting smoking can be a daunting prospect with many setbacks along the way, which is why we’ve created "New To Vaping" as well as "Basics Guide to Vaping" easy to understand reads. If you are ready after reading to take the next step then we have the perfect starter kit bundles to support our customers as they attempt to transition from smoking to vaping as part of Stoptober.
