Your risks of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, and larynx (voice box) are also cut in half. Five years after your last cigaretteДЄfter five years, your risk of suffering a stroke decreases significantly. On your smoke-free anniversary, youвЂ™ll be able to celebrate the fact that your risk of heart disease is about half of that of a smokerвЂ™s. Once youвЂ™ve managed to go half a year smoke free, you breathe even easier and no longer cough up as much mucus and phlegm, as the cilia continue to do their job. Researchers have found that the positive effects of quitting smoking can actually be seen in a womanвЂ™s eggs. Three months after your last cigaretteДЄt the three-month milestone, a womanвЂ™s fertility improves. You are also becoming less prone to lung infection at this point, as the hair-like structures in your lungs called cilia begin to regain their regular function, allowing them to move mucus out of the lungs and clean them. Your circulation improves, further decreasing the risk of heart attack, and you may find that you have more energy and can tolerate physical activity better. One month after your last cigaretteДЄfter about a month, chances are youвЂ™ll feel generally better, as symptoms of smoking like sinus congestion, fatigue, coughing, and shortness of breath begin to go away. Your bronchial tubes (the airways in the lungs) also begin to relax, opening up more. 72 hours after your last cigaretteДЄfter a few days, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood begin to drop to the levels of someone who doesnвЂ™t smoke. 48 hours after your last cigaretteДЄfter two days, your nerve endings begin to get used to the absence of nicotine and previously damaged nerve endings start repairing themselves.Д«ecause of this, you may start noticing that some of your senses-like taste and smell- become heightened. Your chance of heart attack also decreases, as your veins and arteries open up more, allowing more oxygen to the heart. Once you hit the one-day mark, nicotine levels in your blood drop to zero. Within 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, and the temperature of your extremities (your hands and feet) increases. Positive changes begin just minutes after you put out your last cigarette. Your body reacts almost immediately after you have your last cigarette.ДЇrom there, the more time you go without lighting up, the greater the health benefits.ДЄnd all of the health improvements help lead to a more fulfilling life since you will feel better overall. Meeting with a registered dietician can also be helpful. There are plenty of ways to monitor your eating and exercise to help maintain your weight after quitting smoking. Just because weight gain is common doesnвЂ™t mean itвЂ™s unavoidable. You may also begin snacking more as a substitute for smoking.ДЄnd at the same time as youвЂ™re consuming these added calories, your metabolism decreases, meaning you burn calories slower.Д«ut this shouldnвЂ™t stop you from quitting. When you stop smoking, weight gain may happen because you begin eating more due to an increased appetite and because food tastes better as your senses of smell and taste become more heightened. This is because smoking suppresses your appetite and may increase your metabolism, leading smokers to consume less and also burn calories quicker when they eat. Gaining weight after you quit smoking is very common. Other symptoms can include constipation, dizziness, nightmares, nausea, and sore throat.

Irritability, anger, and/or frustration.The seven primary symptoms associated with nicotine withdrawal include: To help prepare for the withdrawal process and increase the chances that you donвЂ™t relapse when the going gets tough, it can help to know what you may experience. Though this is far from fun, itвЂ™s survivable. If you are one of them, quitting smoking can be an uncomfortable process as the nicotine leaves your body and you go through symptoms of withdrawal. In fact, about 80-90% of people who smoke are addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive substance found in tobacco products, and when you smoke regularly, your body becomes physically and psychologically dependent on it.

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Quit smoking timeline