November 5, 2020
Choosing to quit smoking comes with a wide array of benefits. In fact, some of these benefits you can start to notice almost immediately after quitting.
On top of saving money, here are some of the other immediate benefits you’ll start to notice:
Quitting also helps to stop tobacco’s damaging effects on how you look, including premature wrinkling of your skin, gum disease, and tooth loss.
Your Body Begins To Recover
Your body is a resilient organism. Even if you’ve been smoking for years, it’s possible to make a dramatic recovery from negative smoking side-effects. Here’s a timeline of the benefits that come with smoking cessation.
20 Minutes: Your heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop and return to normal.
12 Hours: The carbon monoxide in your bloodstream begins to drop to average levels.
Two weeks: Your lung and circulatory functions start to improve, and stamina is restored.
One to Nine Months: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease. Tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs (called cilia) start to regain normal function in your lungs, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
One Year: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone who still smokes. Heart attack risk also drops dramatically at this point.
Five Years: Risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder is cut in half. Cervical cancer risk falls to that of a non-smoker. Your stroke risk can fall to that of a non-smoker after two to five years.
10 Years: The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. Additionally, your risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.
15 Years: At this point, your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker’s.
Commit To Quit
At Cardiovascular Institute of the South, we offer a comprehensive approach to tobacco cessation. Our program helps our patients to ensure the highest rate of success by combining provider visits, medications, and supportive counseling sessions. This support offers everything you need to put down the cigarettes. In fact, this comprehensive approach is why we believe our quit rate is five times higher than the national average.
Smoking Cessation In Lafayette, South Louisiana, and Mississippi
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, and giving it up can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. CIS is here to help you take the first step toward quitting. If you’re looking to give up smoking for good, look no further. The experts at Cardiovascular Institute of the South are experienced in helping patients with smoking cessation all across the South. Some of these services may be available to you FREE of charge through benefits of the Louisiana Smoking Cessation Trust or the State Quit Line of Mississippi. To learn about our program or find out if you qualify, call 1-877-288-0011 to speak with one of our tobacco treatment specialists.