After your final cigarette, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease. Quitting also greatly benefits your bronchial tubes. Air travels from your windpipe through these tubes into your lungs. Smoke damages the tiny hairs (cilia) lining your bronchial tubes, impairing their ability to keep airways clean. By quitting, you become less prone to infections as your bronchial tubes regain function. Within twenty minutes, these tubes start working again.
After one full day without smoking, your lungs are already cleaner. They work hard to expel carbon monoxide and tar, which may cause you to cough up mucus.
Within two to twelve weeks of quitting, your blood circulation improves significantly.
After one year as a non-smoker, your risk of cardiovascular disease drops. You'll notice better breathing and less coughing.
After fifteen years without cigarettes, your risk of heart attack or stroke is drastically reduced—comparable to someone who never smoked. Reaching this milestone is a major achievement. Congratulations!
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Wait until you read the ending — then discover another story you won't believe.
