If you’re a habitual smoker, quitting may feel impossible. Nicotine has the ability to deceive your brain into believing that it is an essential element of your existence.
Cigarettes are meant to provide a tiny reward in exchange for long-term health problems. They have devastating long-term consequences that grow increasingly difficult to eliminate the longer you smoke.
Smokers are at risk for a variety of malignancies, as well as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and other problems. However, there is a link between smoking and mental health. You’re 34% more likely to smoke if you have a mental health problem than if you don’t.
Once you quit smoking for good, not only will your physical health significantly improve, your mental health will improve too. It may appear to be a huge mountain to climb right now, but those who quit smoking report a slew of advantages.
Here are the top 10 benefits of quitting smoking that your body will thank you for:
Decrease in Anxiety and Depression
Nicotine causes your brain to release dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter that causes positive emotions and pleasure. If you’re living with depression or anxiety, that dopamine hit from nicotine might feel like a quick and easy way to get relief from your symptoms.
However, once your brain becomes more dependent on nicotine to get dopamine instead of producing it on its own, your mood could become worse between each nicotine hit. Since your body is going through withdrawal, you’re more likely to feel even more sad or anxious until your next cigarette.
You won’t have to put your body through withdrawals as often once you’ve quit for good. Research has suggested that quitting smoking could actually help improve your mental health in the long run. Another study has shown that people who quit smoking have reported being happier and having a better quality of life overall.
Risk of Cancer Decreases
When you’re a regular smoker, you’re not at risk of lung cancer only. You’re also at risk for the following cancer types:
- mouth
- throat
- larynx
- bladder
- esophagus
- kidney
According to the American Cancer Society, your risk of developing mouth, throat, and larynx cancers is cut in half around 5-10 years after quitting.
Your risk of lung cancer is around half that of someone who has smoked for the same period of time after ten years. At the 10-year point, your chance of bladder, esophageal, and kidney cancer falls as well.
Coronary Heart Disease Decreases
Smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease and causes one of every four deaths due to heart problems.
When you quit smoking for good, your chances of having coronary heart disease drop dramatically. Your heart rate will return to normal within minutes of your last cigarette, and your risk of heart disease will begin to diminish within a few days.
According to the CDC, your risk of heart attack drops significantly in the first 1-2 years after quitting. The increased risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by half after 3-6 years. After 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease will be comparable to that of someone who does not smoke.
Even if you’ve been diagnosed with coronary heart disease, stopping smoking can help you avoid a first (or second) heart attack, early death, and death from heart disease.
Blood Pressure Decreases
Smoking can cause high blood pressure and poor blood circulation, which can lead to many health problems.
- In as little as 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your blood pressure will begin to drop.
- After 24 hours, the nicotine level in your blood will drop to zero.
- After several days, the carbon monoxide level in your blood will drop to the level of someone who doesn’t smoke at all.
- After two weeks, your blood circulation will improve.
Your Breathing Improves
Have you ever noticed how many smokers suffer from a “smoker’s cough”? This is because smoking obstructs your airways and limits your lung function, leading you to cough frequently.
Your lungs will operate better and breathing will be easier as your body adjusts to the lack of cigarettes.
You’ll also lower your chances of developing COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Quitting smoking will decrease the progression of COPD and reduce the loss of lung function over time if you’ve already been diagnosed with it.
If you have asthma, quitting smoking can help reduce symptoms and improve your response to medicine.
Reproductive Health Improves
It is very encouraged that if you become pregnant, you stop smoking in order to have a healthy pregnancy and baby. The optimal time to quit is before you try to conceive, but you and your baby will benefit from quitting at any point during your pregnancy.
Quitting smoking before or early in pregnancy lowers your chances of having a baby with a low gestational age. You will also eliminate or lessen the risk of any detrimental impact smoking may have on the developing fetus.
Quitting smoking will also reduce your risk of delivering a low birth weight or preterm baby.
Healthier Teeth, Gums, and Skin
Smoking for a long time might have a negative impact on your appearance. Nicotine will discolor and stain your teeth and fingertips. When you smoke for a long time, you can acquire premature wrinkles and even psoriasis.
When you stop smoking, your chances of developing skin problems or gum disease drop dramatically. Improved blood circulation will benefit your skin, giving you a natural “healthy glow” that will make you look younger.
Sense of Taste and Smell Improves
It’s hard to smell anything over too much cigarette smoke! Research has also suggested that long-term smoking can affect your sense of smell and dull your taste buds. Your sense of smell and taste will return with a vengeance once you stop smoking.
You Save A Lot of Money
The prices of cigarettes—not including the price your body pays—keeps getting higher every year. If you live in states like New York or Illinois, where a pack can cost up to $12, you’re spending even more per year.
When you quit smoking, you’re basically giving yourself a bonus at the end of the year. What would you do with all that extra cash?
You Live a Longer Life
The most significant advantage of quitting smoking is that you will live a longer life. Quitting smoking can add up to ten years to your life expectancy. That’s ten more years to spend with your friends and family, pet-sit, travel the world, or do whatever you choose without the burden of your smoking habit.