It is estimated that 27% of Luxembourgers smoke, at least from time to time. Tobacco is the cause of around a thousand deaths per year in Luxembourg, according to figures from the Ministry of Health and Social Security. Globally, eight million deaths are attributed to tobacco use each year. Good news: half of smokers in the Grand Duchy want to quit smoking in the next six months.
For those who succeed, the effects on the body are almost instantaneous. No matter how long or how often a person has smoked, their body begins to regenerate immediately. So, what exactly is happening in the body?
Visible effects on circulation after a few minutes
The last cigarette has been smoked. What is happening in the body? After just twenty minutes, it begins to thank you: the pulse calms down, blood pressure drops and blood circulation improves. The heart works less, which relieves the cardiovascular system. After just twelve hours, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases.
The latter, a toxic gas which is absorbed by smoking and which takes the place of oxygen in red blood cells, once eliminated, allows the organs to better supply themselves with oxygen and nutrients. After two days, the body begins to eliminate nicotine residue. At the same time, the endings of many nerve fibers regenerate. This allows you to regain better taste and smell.
Within two to three weeks, blood circulation improves significantly. The blood vessels relax and the heart pumps more efficiently. The movements are already becoming easier. You no longer feel short of breath after climbing stairs and jogging becomes less strenuous.
After about a month, invisible changes appear in the lungs. The fine cilia of the respiratory tract, stuck by the smoke, resume their activity and eliminate mucus and toxic substances. Coughing and shortness of breath become less frequent.
The entire body benefits from the positive effects over time. Even when it comes to cardiovascular disease, the body hits a reset button. After one year, the risk of developing coronary heart disease drops by half. At this stage, the cardiovascular system is already functioning almost as well as that of a non-smoker.
That’s not all: after five years, the risk of stroke is as low as in people who have never smoked. The risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat or esophagus also decreases significantly. Ten years after stopping smoking, the risk of dying from lung cancer, the characteristic cancer of smokers, is reduced by half. After fifteen years, the risk of heart disease is equivalent to that of a person who has always been a non-smoker.
People who quit smoking often look younger. In just a few weeks, the yellowish spots on the fingers and teeth disappear. The skin is better irrigated and becomes firmer. It appears fresher and smoother, as the body receives more oxygen and eliminates toxins. The characteristic smell of smoke in the hair, on clothes and on the skin also disappears. Many ex-smokers feel cleaner and more attractive as a result.
Quitting smoking remains beneficial, regardless of age
Even people who have smoked for years can significantly improve their health by quitting. The body shows astonishing regenerative capacities, and life expectancy increases. Many people also report that they feel freer and less stressed after quitting smoking.
Although the craving for nicotine can be difficult to manage at first, the feeling of no longer being accompanied by this compulsion more than compensates for this difficulty. Not to mention the savings made: a person who smokes even five cigarettes a day for more than twenty years spends more than €12,000.
This article was originally published on the website of Luxembourg word.
Adaptation: Axel Ponsard
