Surgeon reveals shocking changes body undergoes after quitting smoking: ‘Just after 20 minutes your blood pressure…'

Giving up smoking helps to keep blood pressure in check, reduces the risk of cardiac arrests and cancer over time, states Dr Tayade.

Smoking has been part of the human lifestyle across the globe since time immemorial, despite people being well aware of the harmful effects of the habit. In addition to its addictive nature, its image in popular culture and the largely unregulated market are responsible for people being drawn into the harmful loop.

The risk of cardiac arrest starts to decrease within the first day of giving up smoking, shares Dr Abhijit Tayade. (AP)

According to the American Lung Association, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide. The most commonplace of all, cigarette smoke, contains more than 7000 chemicals, at least 69 of which are known to cause cancer.

The chemical that is primarily responsible for addiction to cigarettes is nicotine. Habitual smokers not only become physically dependent on the substance, but also link it to social activities, which makes smoking a very difficult habit to quit.

However, the benefits of quitting cigarettes, or smoking in general, are immense, as New Delhi-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr Abhijit Tayade shared in an Instagram post on 2 January.

Immediate benefits of quitting smoking:

Once an individual decides to quit smoking for good, the healing process begins almost immediately, explained Dr Tayade.

“Just 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure begin to return to normal,” he stated. “Within 24 hours, the risk of a heart attack starts to decrease.”

Letting go of the addiction is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. However, over the next two months, noticeable benefits include:

• Improvement in lung function
• Breathing becoming earlier
• Recovery of the senses of taste and smell

Benefits of quitting smoking over time:

“With long-term quitting, the benefits become even more significant,” observed Dr Tayade.

• After one year, the risk of a heart attack reduces by almost 50%
• After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer drops by nearly 50%

“Most importantly, research shows that even if you quit in your 50s, 60s, or 70s, you can regain several years of healthy life,” added the surgeon in the caption. “It is never too late to stop.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.