If you've decided to quit vaping - here's what will happen to your body in the first 72 hours
For many vape-quitters, the first few days of abstinence prove to be the hardest.
Not only will your body endure intense nicotine withdrawal symptoms - leading to strong cravings, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems - but your brain will suffer from a huge drop in dopamine, causing feelings like irritability and anxiety.
By getting through these initial days, vape addicts will pass the peak of physical withdrawal. This will make it easier to tackle the psychological habits and triggers in the weeks that follow.
In the long term, managing to abstain from smoking e-cigarettes for good can massively ease heart and blood pressure, improve circulation and lung functionality, and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, cancer, and stroke diagnoses.
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Quitting vaping has also been linked to hugely improved mental health.
Studies have shown, however, that a person doesn't have to wait decades to feel the benefits of quitting, with several positive changes occurring within the body within as little as 72 hours.
In fact, a handful of perks of quitting can emerge within minutes. So what happens to your body over the course of three days?
What changes occur within the first 72 hours?
According to experts at Truth Initiatives, one of the short-term benefits of quitting vaping is a healthy heart rate and blood pressure drop within as little as 20 minutes.
The body's carbon monoxide levels also return to healthy levels after several days. Breathing will likely become easier over this period, too, as the lungs finally relax and allow more oxygen to reach the vital organs.
A person might also sense their energy levels rising, along with a sudden improvement in their sense of smell.
The latter also goes hand in hand with a heightened sense of taste, with foods suddenly having richer flavours.
How about after 72 hours?
According to Truth Initiatives, once a person has avoided vaping for a few weeks, their lungs will have had a chance to heal. This could result in them coughing considerably less or seeing their shortness of breath diminish.
Their blood circulation will also improve to its maximum around this time, specifically between weeks two and nine.
Between the first and second year of being vape-free, a person's chances of receiving a coronary heart disease diagnosis are reduced, along with their risk of suffering from a potentially fatal heart attack.
After five years, an ex-vaper can expect to see their risk of enduring mouth, throat and voice box cancer halved.
The risk of developing cervical cancer, which, according to the NHS, can be greater for those who've smoked for a long time, and the risk of a stroke declines compared to that of a non-smoker.
After a decade, a person's risk of mortality from lung cancer is axed down to 50 per cent compared to someone who still vapes. The risk of a bladder, oesophagus or kidney cancer diagnosis also decreases, along with pancreatic and larynx cancer.
Fifteen years of vape-free life could result in a person's risk of being diagnosed with coronary disease being reduced to the same level as someone who has never smoked.
Rhianna Benson