How Your Health Improves After the Last Cigarette
This information has been reviewed and approved by Thomas Ylioja, MSW, PhD (June 2024).
Summary: Better Health Starts After the Last Cigarette (Updated)
I Quit!
After the last cigarette, the road to better health starts within minutes and continues for years. Here are the changes your body experiences along that journey.
20 Minutes
Blood pressure, pulse rate and body temperature all drop to normal levels
8 Hours
Carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal
"Smoker's breath" disappears
24 Hours
Chances of a heart attack decreases
48 Hours
Nerve endings start to regrow
Within 3 Months
Circulation improves
Walking becomes easier
Lung capacity increases and lung function improves
Within 9 Months
Coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath decrease
1 Year
Excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
5 Years
From 5-15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who never smoked
Risk at developing mouth, throat, esophageal cancer is half that of a smoker
10 Years
Risk of cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
Risk of ulcer decreases
Lung cancer death rate similar to nonsmoker
15 Years
Risk of coronary heart disease and death returns to nearly same level of people who never smoked
Congratulations for taking steps to improve your health!
DISCLAIMER: If you have other health conditions, your results may differ.
More Information on Quitting Smoking
- Quitting Tobacco
- Reasons to Quit
- Types of Tobacco
- Preparing to Quit
- Staying Tobacco Free
- Quit Tobacco Resources
- Tobacco and Your Health
- Secondhand Smoke
- Tobacco Cessation Program
- Find a Doctor
- Make an Appointment
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