Stop Smoking
Recovery Timetable
Our body's
ability to mend is beauty to behold ...
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Within
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20 minutes
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Your blood pressure, pulse rate,
and the temperature of your hands and feet will all return to normal.
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8 hours
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Remaining nicotine in your bloodstream
will have fallen to 6.25% of normal peak daily levels, a 93.25% reduction.
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12 hours
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Your blood oxygen level will have
increased to normal and carbon monoxide levels will have dropped to normal.
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24 hours
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Anxieties peak in intensity and within
two weeks should return to near pre-cessation levels.
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48 hours
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Damaged nerve endings have started
to regrow and your sense of smell and taste are beginning to return to
normal. Cessation anger and irritability peaks.
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72 hours
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Your entire body will test 100%
nicotine-free and over 90% of all nicotine metabolites (the chemicals it
breaks down into) will now have passed from your body via your urine.
Symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity, including
restlessness. The number of cue induced crave episodes experienced during any
quitting day will peak for the "average" ex-user. Lung bronchial
tubes leading to air sacs (alveoli) are beginning to relax in recovering
smokers. Breathing is becoming easier and the lungs functional abilities are
starting to increase.
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5 - 8 days
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The "average" ex-smoker
will encounter an "average" of three cue induced crave episodes per
day. Although we may not be "average" and although serious
cessation time distortion can make minutes feel like hours, it is unlikely
that any single episode will last longer than 3 minutes. Keep a clock handy
and time them.
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10 days
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10 days - The "average
ex-user is down to encountering less than two crave episodes per day, each
less than 3 minutes.
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10 days to 2 weeks
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Recovery has likely progressed to
the point where your addiction is no longer doing the talking. Blood
circulation in our gums and teeth are now similar to that of a non-user.
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2 to 4 weeks
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Cessation related anger, anxiety,
difficulty concentrating, impatience, insomnia, restlessness and depression
have ended. If still experiencing any of these symptoms get seen and
evaluated by your physician.
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21 days
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Brain acetylcholine receptor
counts up-regulated in response to nicotine's presence have now
down-regulated and receptor binding has returned to levels seen in the brains
of non-smokers.
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2 weeks to 3 months
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Your heart attack risk has started
to drop. Your lung function is beginning to improve.
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3 weeks to 3 months
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Your circulation has substantially
improved. Walking has become easier. Your chronic cough, if any, has likely
disappeared.
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1 to 9 months
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Any smoking related sinus
congestion, fatigue or shortness of breath have decreased. Cilia have regrown
in your lungs thereby increasing their ability to handle mucus, keep your
lungs clean, and reduce infections. Your body's overall energy has increased.
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1 year
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Your excess risk of coronary heart
disease, heart attack and stroke has dropped to less than half that of a smoker.
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5 to 15 years
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Your risk of stroke has declined
to that of a non-smoker.
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10 years
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Your risk of being diagnosed with
lung cancer is between 30% and 50% of that for a continuing smoker (2005 study). Risk
of death from lung cancer has declined by almost half if you were an average
smoker (one pack per day). Your risk of pancreatic cancer has declined
to that of a never-smoker (2011 study), while
risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus has also declined.
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13 years
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Your risk of smoking induced tooth
loss has declined to that of a never-smoker (2006
study).
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15 years
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Your risk of coronary heart
disease is now that of a person who has never smoked.
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20 years
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Female excess risk of death from
all smoking related causes, including lung disease and cancer, has now
reduced to that of a never-smoker (2008 study).
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...
so long as we stop while still time!
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