Why It ' s Time to Quit Vaping （為什么該戒電子煙了） ?? [科學、健康]

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?By Kimberly Holland?

FOR ANYONE WHO thinks that vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes , it ' s time to think again. Evidence is mounting that vaping - inhaling a liquid containing dozens of chemicals - causes lung damage and can even be deadly . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports close to 3,000 cases and 68 deaths from a new vaping - related lung disease.

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Like cigarette smoking , vaping is addictive , making it difficult to quit. And while vaping has a reputation as a teen habit , an estimated 5.7 million American adults are vaping too. Quitting might be tough , but the benefits make it worth the effort. Here ' s a rundown of the health improvements you ' ll see , starting in just minutes.

?Twenty minutes after you stop ..." Your heart rate returns to normal , your blood pressure drops and your circulation starts to normalize ," says Nikola Djordjevic , MD, project manager of Med Alert Help , a public health information website.

?One day later ..." Your heart attack risk starts to decrease thanks to the lower - ing of blood pressure and rising blood oxygen levels ," Dr.Djordjevic says. Two days later ... Your ability to taste and smell food may have improved. One month later ..." Your lung capacity improves ; there ' s noticeably less shortness of breath and coughing," says Dr . Djordjevic.

?After three months ... Your blood vessels are returning to their normal diameter and your blood circulation is continuing to improve.

?After nine months ... Your lungs can fight infections again " thanks to the renewal of microscopic structures that help push out mucus ," says Dr . Djordjevic.

?After one year , your risk of having a heart attack is half of what it had been . After five years your stroke risk will be significantly lower , and after?

10 years your cancer risk is lower too . And there will come a day when , finally , your former habit will no longer have any impact on your health.

" After 20 years , your risk factors will be similar to those who never smoked or vaped ," says Dr . Djordjevic.

（讀者文摘2022年12月2023年1月合訂本）?