Effects of Lighting A Cigarette
Immediate
- The lining of your nose and esophagus becomes red and irritated from the chemicals and smoke. You may start to cough.
- The good bacteria in your mouth die, leading to dry mouth and bad breath.
- The back of your mouth begins to itch.
- The heat and tar from your cigarette can discolor your teeth, gums and lips. Over time, wrinkles and age spots appear. Quitting protects your skin from premature aging.
- Puckering to take a drag causes fine lines to form around your lips — a dead giveaway that you smoke, because these don’t normally appear on nonsmokers.
20 minutes
- Nicotine enters your bloodstream, increasing your pulse and blood pressure.
- Your sense of smell is reduced.
- Because nicotine is a stimulant, your brain will release feel-good chemicals or make you want to eat. When you don’t satisfy the urge, you will feel anxious and irritable.
Eight to forty-eight hours
- The nicotine and carbon monoxide finally begin to leave your system — but, only if you haven’t smoked since your first puff.
- The excess mucus created to coat and protect your lungs will begin to drain.
- Nicotine is not only addictive, but it also impedes your sense of smell and taste. It takes two days for your body to flush the nicotine out and for your senses to return to normal.
- Hearing loss is a little-known side effect of smoking. When you smoke, the oxygen in your inner ear is depleted.
- Smoking makes it harder for your blood to circulate, so exercising and other physical activity can leave you winded.
This is just the beginning of a long, frustrating, unhappy and unhealthy road.
Quit smoking now! Sign up for our smoking cessation program.
