Exactly what happens to your body in the hours, days, weeks, months and years after you stop smoking 

JANUARY is a time many of us decide to be virtuous and kick any nasty habits that might be harming our health.

Your ‘New Year, New Me’ ambitions could be prompting you to finally quit smoking.

The knowledge that it won’t be an easy task might mean you’re hesitating in stubbing out the habit for good.

But it’s one of the best things you can do for your health.

Llinos Connolly, clinical services sister at , shared insight on what happens to your physical and mental health when you stop smoking.

She told Sun Health: “While things like alcohol come with recommended daily amounts, smoking doesn’t.

“In fact, the recommended daily number of cigarettes is none, and for good reason.

“The benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the consequences, but even then, it’s important to understand the immediate physical and mental health symptoms when you do quit.”

So if you’re thinking of throwing out your ciggies, here’s exactly what you might experience in the days, weeks, months and years afterwards.

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

1 hour

In the first hour after swearing off smoking, your pulse rate and blood pressure will start to reduce, Llinos said.

But the craving for another cigarette might sneak up on you pretty quickly.

4 to 8 hours

Now a few hours into your no-smoke challenge, your oxygen levels should be recovering, and the harmful levels of carbon monoxide will reduce by half, Llinos went on.

12 hours

It’s now half a day since you stubbed out your last cigarette and you may be feeling sad and restless as the physical craving for another takes hold.

“These feelings won’t last forever,” Llinos said.

“Though you may feel a temporary relief if you smoke again, studies show depression and stress levels are lower when people stop smoking.”

24 hours

A day in, you may notice yourself becoming more irritable and anxious.

“Please remember this is a temporary effect,” the clinical services sister noted.

“Overall, it’s proven that mood, stress, anxiety and depression improve after stopping smoking.”

2 to 3 days

After two or three days, all the carbon monoxide should be flushed out of your system.

Your lungs will also be clearing out the mucus and your sense of taste and smell will be improving.

But you may notice your appetite increases as you mistake cigarette cravings for hunger pangs.  

4 to 5 days

After four or five days, your breathing becomes easier as your bronchial tubes start to relax, according Llinos.

On top of that, you may feel your energy levels rising.  

5 to 7 days

After you’ve completed a week without smoking, your body no longer craves nicotine.

Llinos told Sun Health: “Now it is a case of ‘mind over matter’ and to stop smoking for good.”

Two weeks

Two weeks in, your circulation will have improved.

Meanwhile, “as blood pumps through your heart and muscles much more efficiently, you will see an increase in your physical energy levels”, Llinos added.  

One month

One of the hallmarks of being a smoker is the persistent cough that plagues you throughout the year.

“You may notice that persistent cough, feeling of breathlessness or the annoying wheeze will improve as there is an improvement in your lung health,” the health expert noted.

Three months

At three months, your lung function will have increased by 10 per cent.

One year

If you make it a year without smoking, your risk of heart disease and suffering a heart attack will decrease by 50 per cent, according to Llinos.

10 years

Now multiply that by 10, which is no mean feat!

After a decade without cigarettes, the likelihood of your drying from lung cancer is 50 per cent lower compared to a smoker.

It comes as an anti-smoking drug that could double your chances of quitting is made available on the NHS.

A study found that smokers were more than twice as likely to give up tobacco when taking cytisine tablets compared to placebo pills.

Researchers also found cytisine was more effective than nicotine replacement therapies like patches and vapes.

The medicine isn’t new, but it’s recently gained regulatory approval in the UK and will be available via prescription on the NHS from January 22, 2024.

Dr Richard Russell, consultant chest physician and clinical reader in respiratory medicine at King’s College London, called it “a major advancement in our efforts to assist smokers in quitting”.

He added: “It provides a new hope for many who have struggled to quit smoking in the past and a clear next step for healthcare professionals helping them.

“This is a positive step towards improving the health outcomes of smokers and reducing the burden of smoking-related diseases.”