

Quitting also helps stop the damaging effects of tobacco on how you look, including premature wrinkling of your skin, gum disease, and tooth loss.

Quitting also lowers your risk of diabetes, helps your blood vessels work better, and helps your heart and lungs. Quitting smoking lowers your risk of other cancers over time as well, including cancers of the stomach, pancreas, liver, cervix, and colon and rectum, as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These are just a few of the health benefits of quitting smoking for good, but there are others, too. Your risk of coronary heart disease is close to that of a non-smoker. Your risk of cancer of the bladder, esophagus, and kidney decreases.

Your risk of lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking (after 10 to 15 years). Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box (larynx) is cut in half. Your risk of heart attack drops dramatically. Tiny hair-like structures (called cilia) that move mucus out of the lungs start to regain normal function, increasing their ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. Your circulation improves and your lung function increases.Ĭoughing and shortness of breath decrease. The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
