Welcome to part seven of this free quit smoking course.
OK, I've told you that this smoking lark is really nasty, but the good news is that there are serious improvements to your health from the day you quit.
Here is a list of things to know about how you will change over the coming weeks, months and years after quitting: Day One

• Blood pressure falls
• Carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to a healthy
• Oxygen levels in your blood rise to normal
• Blood flow to your hands and feet improve

Day Two

• Your risk of heart attack falls immediately
• Your sense of smell and taste will start to improve

Day Three

• Nicotine levels are down to zero
• Cravings will be at their worst today (normally)
• Coughing may be becoming irritable

Weeks 1-4

• Blood circulation has improved
• Skin is looking better
• Your breathing and lung function is improving
• You are producing less phlegm
• You are coughing less than before
• You may start noticing other nicotine withdrawal symptoms

Months 1-3

• Your lung function will have improved significantly
• Wheezing should have stopped
• Sinus congestion and breathlessness have subsided
• Your energy levels will be higher - you may feel and urge to exercise!

Year 1

• Your risk of heart disease and heart attack have halved

Year 5

• The risk of mouth, throat and oesophageal cancer have all halved compared with when you were a smoker

Year 10

• Your risk of lung cancer is half that of a smoker

Year 15

• Your risk of heart attack and heart disease has returned to that of a lifelong non-smoker
• Your risk of stroke and death will be the same as a non-smoker.
  

Other Benefits

• If you quit smoking before the age of 35, the statistics suggest that you will not suffer any real shortening of life expectancy compared to a non-smoker.
  
• If you continue to smoke after the age of 35, you reduce your life expectancy by about 3 months for every year you continue to smoke.
  
• Statistics reveal that your longevity increases no matter when you quit smoking, whether that be as a teenager or as a pensioner.
  There is never a bad time to quit - it is always worth it!

There is a whole range of products available on the internet to help you quit smoking.
You would do well to consider them too and here's why:

• You may well shorten your life by as much as thirty years as a direct consequence of smoking plus you are likely to suffer a slow and painful death if smoking gives you a terminal illness.
  
• You are likely to suffer from ill health even if you are not fatally affected by smoking.
  
• You will not look as good as you could if you continue to smoke.
  Smokers have a waxy grey complexion compared to non-smokers and develop stained hair, fingers and skin from the tar in tobacco smoke.
  
• You will smell better if you quit.
  As a smoker you may not realize this but to non-smokers, you stink! They are just being polite most of the time : )
• You will have more energy to enjoy life.
  
• You will feel proud of yourself after you have quit; it is a great accomplishment and a great source of pride to smokers when they succeed.
  
• You will gain the respect of your peers and family because you will have overcome smoking.
  

In part eight of this free quit smoking course, we will learn what immediate steps you must take to quit smoking successfully.