Smoking is seriously bad for you; you don’t need a news article to tell you that much. However, many smokers are convinced that the “damage is already done” and that quitting may not even be worth it. As explained in a recent ASAPScience YouTube video, this isn’t entirely correct, and the damage from smoking can begin to clear in as little as 20 minutes after your last cigarette.

According to ASAPScience, 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal. This is because the nicotine causes your body to release epinephrine and norepinephrine, two “flight or fight hormones” which restrict blood vessels and increase heart rate.

Read: Quit Smoking And Reclaim Your Life: Risks Of Lung Cancer, Other Diseases Decline Significantly

About two hours after you stop smoking, the cravings kick in again, which can lead to moodiness and irritability. However, it gets better. Eight hours after you stop, the inhaled carbon monoxide clears from your lungs, allowing oxygen levels in the bloodstream to return to normal.

No one said that quitting smoking would be easy though, and about 24 hours after you stop you may actually cough more than usual. Don’t be alarmed though, this is a good thing as it’s a sign that your body is getting rid of some of the toxins that have begun to build up in your lungs. In addition, about 72 hours after you first quit you may begin to experience some of the more extreme side effects of your withdrawal. These will pass, and once you’re over the hump, the worst is behind you.

As time goes on, the benefits from quitting smoking will increase, and eventually your body will be restored to how it was before you first picked up your habit. Check out the video below to see all of the great benefits that can result from quitting smoking.

See Also:

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