A Great Time To Quit Smoking

As I mentioned in my previous post, many important Causes are observed during the month of November. Lung Cancer is one of them. What better time to quit smoking :-) My husband, who is a physician, brought home a flyer recently from the hospital where he is employed. In light of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, they have been handing them out to patients. The name of it is "When A Smoker Quits". He thought it might be something beneficial to share with a few of our 'smoker' relatives and friends. Since, I consider everyone who reads my Blog friends I didn't want to exclude you :-) Anyway, the flyer describes what improvements are happening in your body from the first 20 minutes after that last cigarette. I, for one, was quite surprised. Read for yourself:

WHEN SMOKERS QUIT

Within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette, the body begins a series of changes that continues for years.

20 MINUTES

• Blood pressure drops to normal
• Pulse rate drops to normal
• Body temperature of hands & feet increases to normal

8 HOURS

• Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
• Oxygen level in blood increases to normal

24 HOURS

• Chance of heart attack begins decreasing

48 HOURS

• Nerve endings start regrowing
• Ability to taste & smell is enhanced

2 WEEKS TO 3 MONTHS

• Circulation improves
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases up to 30%

1 TO 9 MONTHS

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease
• Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, reduce infection
• Body's overall energy level steadily increases

1 YEAR

• Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

5 YEARS

• Lung Cancer death rate for average former smoker (one pack a day) decreases by almost half
• Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, and esophagus in half that of a smoker's

10 YEARS

• Lung Cancer death rate similar to that of nonsmokers
• Precancerous cells are replaced by normal ones
• Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, & pancreas decreases

15 YEARS

• Risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker

END

These facts came from the American Lung Association and I, in no way, can personally guarantee that someone who quits smoking will experience these exact results. I am simply passing on valuable information from an extremely reliable source (it's a shame but I gotta put all of this in here for liability and legal reasons).

Please "put it out" for good. Do it for those who love you. Do it for yourself.

Sandy

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