Quitting smoking works immediately

All content is checked by medical journalists.

MunichFor most people, the most important reason to quit smoking is health. In fact, if you do without the glowing stick, the risk of many serious illnesses decreases - and faster than you think.

For the motivation of the new nonsmokers, the short-term positive effects are particularly important - and there are some of them. One should keep this in mind.

Quick recovery

For example, the body reacts to quitting smoking after just 20 minutes. The heartbeat slows down, blood pressure drops.

One of the harmful side effects of smoking is the high levels of carbon monoxide in the blood. The gas binds to the red blood cells and blocks their actual task - the transport of oxygen. If you haven't smoked a cigarette for twelve hours, your carbon monoxide levels will drop back to normal.

Two weeks to three months after the last cigarette, both lung function and blood circulation in the body improve.

The regeneration of the body after quitting smoking begins very soon - and often pays off in improved physical fitness. For example, many ex-smokers notice that climbing stairs is easier for them just a few weeks after quitting smoking. Come in addition:

• The breath smells better.
• The teeth are whiter.
• The skin becomes smoother and looks fresher.
• The ability to smell and taste improves.
• The procurement pressure - the stressful feeling when the cigarette pack is running low - is eliminated.
• Not smoking saves you money.
• Family and friends are not bothered and endangered by tobacco smoke.

Help with quitting smoking

The e-mail coach of the Federal Center for Health Education offers valuable support when quitting smoking at www.rauchfrei-info.de. In addition to information and tips about quitting smoking, it also offers regular e-mails that motivate you to persevere, a cost-saving calculator, a dependency test and an online community with like-minded people. (cf)

Source: www.rauchfrei-info.de (accessed January 14, 2015)

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