Smoking decreases your body’s natural repair processes and accelerates skin aging prematurely; it may even lead to wrinkles and gum disease.
Once you quit smoking, your body will begin its own recovery process and can expect positive changes within one to four months, depending on individual circumstances. Some benefits associated with quitting include:
Reduces Your Risk of Cancer
As soon as you quit smoking, your body starts repairing damage done by years of tobacco use. Your heart rate returns to normal, your breathlessness improves and carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to healthy levels – the longer you remain smoke-free the greater its benefits; cancer and heart disease risk decrease while lung function continues to improve. If you need assistance quitting please reach out for support through helplines or healthcare providers for resources.
Studies show that quitting smoking dramatically lowers one’s risk of dying from cancer and other diseases. Lung cancer risks decline rapidly after quitting; even smokers who had been smoking for 10-15 years can see their cancer risk return to that of someone who never smoked, provided they remain smoke-free.
Individuals who can successfully quit smoking see an immediate and dramatic reduction in their increased risk of death, with those who quit before age 35 seeing almost complete reduction in the extra risks associated with smoking. Quitting before middle age has even lower mortality risks than beginning later in life; and these advantages still benefit both men and women from different racial/ethnic groups.
Quitting smoking not only reduces your risk of cancer, but it can also protect other organs such as your bladder, esophagus and kidney. Furthermore, quitting is linked to decreased diabetes risks and improves the health of blood vessels, skin eyes and lungs – in addition to contributing to premature wrinkles and discolorations effects on these areas of the body.
Reduces Your Risk of Heart Disease
Smoking raises your nicotine bloodstream levels to dangerously high levels, leading to constricted vessels that restrict oxygen-rich red blood cells from reaching your heart and other organs. When you stop smoking, these levels quickly return to normal within a day or so – significantly lowering the risk of heart attacks or other cardiovascular events.
Quitting smoking will have immediate benefits at any age, but the sooner it happens the greater its effect will be. A smoker who quits before age 30 reverts to nonsmoker mortality rates within a year; half of their additional risk for coronary heart disease has also vanished within one year.
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, are the leading causes of death among smokers. Smoking damages the lining of your blood vessels, making them harder for them to work effectively; and raises your risk for heart attack by increasing levels of clotting substances in your body.
Just one day after giving up smoking, your risk of heart disease falls to that of nonsmokers; your cardiovascular and respiratory conditions also decrease, along with any risks for cancer of the lung or bladder that might arise in time.
Blake Thomson, former Surveillance & Health Equity Science team leader of ACS research found in his study that even smokers who began later can significantly lower their cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease risks upon quitting smoking. For instance, lung cancer risks drop substantially while risk of respiratory illnesses like bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) goes down dramatically.
Reduces Your Risk of Stroke
Smoking significantly increases a person’s risk of stroke, which occurs when blood vessels in the brain either break open or become blocked by clots. Smoking causes blood vessel walls to thicken more easily and forms more clots more readily, increasing their chances of blockage or breaking open and thus leading to strokes more frequently than among nonsmokers. People living with smokers or who themselves smoke have twice the risk of suffering a stroke than nonsmokers do.
Smokers are at increased risk for stroke due to damage done to their heart by smoking, making it harder for it to supply oxygenated blood to their brain. A stroke can also occur when a clot travels through blood vessels to the brain and blocks an artery; when people quit smoking their blood vessels become more flexible and oxygenated reducing risk for a stroke.
As someone smokes tobacco products, their blood can become irritated from exposure to nicotine-laced tobacco products and become compromised, leading to buildups of fatty deposits in their arteries which increase their chances of breaking down and blocking a vessel. Quitting can reverse some of this damage done to one’s arteries while simultaneously lowering blood pressure thereby decreasing risk for strokes.
Study participants who had experienced either a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) were found to reduce the risk of another one by 34% simply by quitting smoking, similar to what could be achieved with other medical treatments such as statin medications, anticoagulation therapy or low-fat diets.
Reduces Your Risk of Gum Disease
Smoking causes irreparable harm to both gums and teeth. Smokers are five times more likely than nonsmokers to have periodontal disease – caused by buildups of tartar and bacteria on teeth and gums that result in inflammation leading to inflammation-induced tooth loss – with chewing tobacco serving as an additional risk. After quitting smoking, your gums heal as inflammation subsides, lessening chances of further damage being done to them by nicotine exposure.
Smokers also face an increased risk of mouth cancer and are more prone to problems with their gums, teeth, and oral surgery than non-smokers. Gum disease can be devastating and lead to tooth loss, recession of gum tissue and the formation of pockets around roots of teeth. Smokers may also experience complications after gum or oral surgery which require longer for recovery than non-smokers.
No matter the motivation to quit smoking, your teeth and gums should be among the primary concerns. If smoking has negatively impacted the state of your oral health, talk to your dentist about ways you can reverse its impact and strengthen your oral care routine.
Smokers who want to improve their dental health and kick the habit can never wait. While quitting may be challenging, it is achievable with tools such as stop-smoking aids, cessation counseling and a support network available. When withdrawal hits hard, distract yourself by sipping water or taking long walks – eventually your cravings will subside and you’ll begin feeling more secure without cigarettes!
Reduces Your Risk of Wrinkles
Smoking can have serious health repercussions, from premature wrinkles to worsening existing skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema. Cigarette smoke’s toxic ingredients also damage collagen and elastin fibers essential for maintaining healthy skin – creating what is commonly referred to as the smoker’s face, an aged look. Smoking also narrows blood vessels which decrease oxygen flow to skin tissues causing dry, flaky patches on your complexion.
Smoking also contributes to age spots and hyperpigmentation by increasing production of metalloproteinase, an enzyme which breaks down collagen. This results in decreased skin elasticity as well as wrinkles and lines around mouth and eyes where people purse lips when smoking or squint when puffing away.
Quitting smoking reverses the signs of aging by revitalizing your body’s ability to produce collagen. A 2019 study demonstrated this fact; collagen production resumed within one month of quitting, helping smooth and firm the skin while possibly reducing fine lines and wrinkles common among smokers. Furthermore, eating foods rich in Vitamin A and C may also promote healthier-looking skin.
After quitting smoking, your blood circulation improves significantly and carbon monoxide levels in your blood decrease to normal, making it easier for your skin to receive nutrients it requires. Furthermore, your lungs will start healing from years of smoking damage; many former smokers report looking younger after quitting! This should provide plenty of motivation as you embark on becoming a nonsmoker!
