Smoking is a bad habit that harms your health in many ways. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals present in cigarettes affect your lungs, heart, and other body parts. If you smoke cigarettes, you should quit it. Quitting smoking may be a challenging process, but its benefits are amazing.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the body starts repairing itself immediately after quitting cigarettes. This process not only improves your health but also gives you a chance to live a long and healthy life. Let us know what kind of changes happen in the body after quitting cigarettes and how the body heals itself over time. Let us know what happens in the body after quitting cigarettes.

In 20 minutes: Drop in heart rate and blood pressure
Your body starts repairing itself just 20 minutes after taking the last puff of a cigarette. Your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels. These small improvements you start feeling after quitting smoking, later turn into big benefits.

In 12 hours: Carbon monoxide level in blood becomes normal
During smoking, a poisonous gas called carbon monoxide reaches your blood, which reduces the amount of oxygen. 12 hours after quitting cigarettes, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood becomes normal, which balances your oxygen level again.

In 2-12 weeks: Improvement in communication system and increase in lung function
After two to 12 weeks of quitting cigarettes, your body's communication system starts improving. Your veins widen, which improves blood flow. Along with this, the functioning of the lungs also increases, which makes breathing easier.

In 1-9 months: Decreased cough and shortness of breath
Continuous smoking weakens your respiratory system, leading to coughing and difficulty breathing. But within one to nine months of quitting, your cough and shortness of breath should decrease. The cilia in your lungs, which clear mucus and dust particles, begin to regain their functionality.

In 1 year: Heart disease risk is halved
One year after quitting, your risk of heart disease is halved. Your heart is now healthier than that of a smoker. This is an important milestone that can make a big difference in your long-term health.

In 5-15 years: Decreased stroke risk
5 to 15 years after quitting, your risk of stroke is as low as that of a non-smoker. Your blood pressure remains stable and blood flow in your veins improves, which significantly reduces the risk of stroke.

In 10 years: Lung cancer risk is halved

10 years after quitting, your risk of lung cancer is half that of a smoker. Also, the risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, bladder, cervix, and pancreas is reduced significantly.

15 years: Heart disease risk is equal to that of a non-smoker

15 years after quitting, your risk of heart disease is completely equal to that of a person who has never smoked. This indicates that your body has repaired all the damage caused by smoking.

(PC: Freepik)