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Oct. 13th, 2004|03:40 am |
At 20 minutes after quitting:
*blood pressure decreases (though it can fluctuate weeks or months after quitting, and may be affected by NRT)
*pulse rate drops (though it can fluctuate weeks after quitting)
*the body manufactures more mucus to begin `flushing' the system
*body temperature of hands and feet increases
At 8 hours:
*carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
*oxygen level in blood increases to normal
*the nervous system begins to awaken
At 24 hours:
*chance of a sudden heart attack decreases substantially
*blood vessels are expanding back to normal
*most of the nicotine has left your body
*hormone and other body chemical levels begin a process of
readjustment
[If not using NRT, you may be experiencing tingling in the limbs and face; dizziness- due to increased blood/oxygen flow; blurred vision;
concentration or memory difficulties- same reason]
At 48 hours:
*nerve endings start regrowing
*the cilia in the lungs, becoming unparalyzed, begin cleaning the
lungs- IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN LUNG DISEASE BY NOW, YOU MOST LIKELY
WONT.
*the body's cells demand nicotine
*ability to smell and taste may be enhanced
[If not using NRT, you may be: jittery; exhausted; having difficulty
sleeping; restless/irritable; angry and/or emotional; difficulty
talking; increased clumsiness]
At 72 hours:
*eyesight may sharpen; colors become more vivid
*bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract are shifting back to normal
*all nicotine has left the body, though nic metabolites will be
detectable in the hair follicles and fingernails for up to a year
[If not using NRT, you may be (still all of the above and): gassy;
bloated; cramping; hungry or not hungry at all]
*heart may be fluctuating in rate and frequency
After the 2nd week:
*hormone levels begin stabilizing (though menstrual cycles may alter
in the next months)
*most withdrawal symptoms have peaked in severity
*chemical (physiological) withdrawal comes to an end.
*bronchial tubes relaxing, making breathing easier (though you may
feel tightness in ribs, chest, back)
[If not using NRT, you may be continue to experience detox symptoms
for a week or two more, although they'll generally be slowly
diminishing over this time]
At 3 weeks to 3 months:
*circulation improves
*walking becomes easier
*lung function increases
At 90 days:
*Most quitters report feeling more-or-less back to normal by this time
At 6 months:
*Underlying depression issues may need to be addressed
By 9 months:
*coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases for good
At 1 year:
*excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
*nicotine metabolites no longer detectable in the hair follicles or fingernails
At 5 years
*risk of death from lung cancer to have decreased by almost half
*risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker
*risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus is now half that
of a smoker's
At 10 years
*all precancerous cells have been replaced
*risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and
pancreas is now that of a non-smoker's
At 15 years
*risk of coronary heart disease that of a person who has never smoked
*risk of death from lung cancer similar to that of non-smokers'
*overall risk of death has returned to nearly that of a person who
has never smoked |
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