How Healthy Are Lungs One Year After Quitting Smoking?
Improvements During the Year Your body starts to benefit immediately when you quit smoking. Within only 30 minutes of your last cigarette, there is a decrease in your blood pressure. Pulse rate will slow and the body temperature in your hands and feet will increase as circulation improves. By only 8 hours later, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood will have returned to normal, and the oxygen levels will have normalized as well. One day later, your chances of suffering a heart attack will already start to decrease. Within 2 to 3 days, your body starts to grow new nerve endings and your sense of smell and taste improves. Two to 3 weeks after you quit smoking, lung function will already start to increase as the cilia begin to grow back. Other respiratory benefits you will start to notice is that any coughing, congestion or shortness of breath decrease within the months that follow. By the time you are smoke free for 1 year, you will have reduces your chance of coronary heart disease
