How do cigarettes affect the body? - Krishna Sudhir

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Cigarettes aren’t good for us.

香菸對我們不好。

That’s hardly news--we’ve known about the dangers of smoking for decades.

那不是新聞了。

數十年前我們就已經知道 抽菸的危險性。

But how exactly do cigarettes harm us?

但香菸到底如何傷害我們？

Let’s look at what happens as their ingredients

咱們來看看，香菸的成份通過

我們的身體時會發生什麼狀況，

make their way through our bodies,

and how we benefit physically when we finally give up smoking.

以及當我們終於戒菸時 身體能得到什麼好處。

With each inhalation,

每一次吸入，

smoke brings its more than 5,000 chemical substances

煙就會把它本身超過 五千種化學物質帶入體內，

into contact with the body’s tissues.

和身體的組織接觸。

From the start, tar, a black, resinous material,

從一開始，焦油， 一種黑色樹脂原料，

begins to coat the teeth and gums,

會開始覆蓋牙齒和牙床，

damaging tooth enamel, and eventually causing decay.

損害牙齒琺瑯質，最終造成蛀牙。

Over time, smoke also damages nerve-endings in the nose,

隨時間過去，煙也會傷害 鼻子中的神經末梢，

causing loss of smell.

造成嗅覺失靈。

Inside the airways and lungs,

在氣道和肺中，

smoke increases the likelihood of infections,

煙會增加感染的可能性，

as well as chronic diseases like bronchitis and emphysema.

以及慢性病的可能性， 如支氣管炎和肺氣腫。

It does this by damaging the cilia,

原因是因為它會傷害纖毛，

tiny hairlike structures whose job it is to keep the airways clean.

纖毛是像毛一樣的構造， 功能是保持氣道乾淨。

It then fills the alveoli,

煙接著會充滿肺泡，

tiny air sacs that enable the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide

肺泡是小小的氣囊， 讓肺部和血液能夠進行

between the lungs and blood.

氧氣和二氧化碳的交換，

A toxic gas called carbon monoxide crosses that membrane into the blood,

一氧化碳是一種有毒氣體， 它會穿過那薄膜，進入血液，

binding to hemoglobin

和血紅素結合，

and displacing the oxygen

取代血紅素原本要在 身體中運輸的氧氣。

it would usually have transported around the body.

That’s one of the reasons smoking can lead to oxygen deprivation

這就是抽菸會導致 供氧不足以及呼吸短促

and shortness of breath.

背後的原因之一。

Within about 10 seconds,

大約只要十秒，

the bloodstream carries a stimulant called nicotine to the brain,

血液流動就會把一種 叫做尼古丁的興奮劑帶到大腦，

triggering the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters

觸發多巴胺及其他神經遞質的釋放，

including endorphins

包括腦內啡，

that create the pleasurable sensations which make smoking highly addictive.

它能創造出快樂的感覺， 因此抽菸非常容易上癮。

Nicotine and other chemicals from the cigarette

尼古丁和來自香菸的其他化學物質

simultaneously cause constriction of blood vessels

會同時造成血管緊縮，

and damage their delicate endothelial lining,

並傷害它們精細的內膜面，

restricting blood flow.

因而限制血流。

These vascular effects lead to thickening of blood vessel walls

這些對血管的影響 會導致血管管壁變厚，

and enhance blood platelet stickiness,

增加血小板的黏度，

increasing the likelihood that clots will form

因此更有可能會有血塊生成，

and trigger heart attacks and strokes.

觸發心臟病或中風。

Many of the chemicals inside cigarettes can trigger dangerous mutations

香菸中有許多化學物質 會觸發人體 DNA

in the body’s DNA that make cancers form.

產生危險的病變，形成癌症。

Additionally, ingredients like arsenic and nickel

此外，像砷和鎳這些成份

may disrupt the process of DNA repair,

可能會打斷 DNA 修復的過程，

thus compromising the body’s ability to fight many cancers.

因而危害到身體對抗癌症的能力。

In fact, about one of every three cancer deaths in the United States

事實上，在美國， 每三件因癌症過世的案例中

is caused by smoking.

就有一件是由抽菸造成的。

And it’s not just lung cancer.

且不只是肺癌。

Smoking can cause cancer in multiple tissues and organs,

抽菸會造成數個組織和器官的癌症，

as well as damaged eyesight

還會傷害視力，

and weakened bones.

弱化骨頭。

It makes it harder for women to get pregnant.

女性會更難懷孕。

And in men, it can cause erectile dysfunction.

男性則可能會因為抽菸 而引起勃起功能障礙。

But for those who quit smoking,

但對於戒菸的人來說，

there’s a huge positive upside

有非常正面的一面，

with almost immediate and long-lasting physical benefits.

幾乎可說馬上就能得到 持續很久的身體益處。

Just 20 minutes after a smoker’s final cigarette,

抽菸者抽完最後一根香菸 之後二十分鐘，

their heart rate and blood pressure begin to return to normal.

他們的心跳和血壓 就會開始回到正常。

After 12 hours, carbon monoxide levels stabilize,

十二小時後，一氧化碳的量 就會穩定下來，

increasing the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

血液運載氧的能力又會增加。

A day after ceasing,

戒菸一天後，

heart attack risk begins to decrease as blood pressure and heart rates normalize.

隨著心跳和血壓變正常， 心臟病的風險也會開始下降。

After two days,

兩天後，

the nerve endings responsible for smell and taste start to recover.

負責嗅覺和味覺的 神經末稍會開始恢復。

Lungs become healthier after about one month,

大約一個月後，肺會變得更健康，

with less coughing and shortness of breath.

比較少發生咳嗽和呼吸短促。

The delicate hair-like cilia in the airways and lungs

氣道和肺部的脆弱纖毛

start recovering within weeks,

會在數週內開始恢復，

and are restored after 9 months, improving resistance to infection.

九個月後會復元， 改善對感染的抵抗力。

By the one-year anniversary of quitting,

戒菸週年慶的時候，

heart disease risk plummets to half as blood vessel function improves.

隨著血管功能改善， 心臟疾病風險只剩一半。

Five years in,

五年時，

the chance of a clot forming dramatically declines,

形成血塊的機會會明顯下降，

and the risk of stroke continues to reduce.

中風的風險持續減少。

After ten years, the chances of developing fatal lung cancer

十年後，發展致命肺癌的機會

go down by 50%,

會下降 50%，

probably because the body’s ability to repair DNA is once again restored.

可能是因為身體修復 DNA 的能力再次復元了。

Fifteen years in, the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease

十五年後，發展出 冠狀動脈疾病的可能性

is essentially the same as that of a non-smoker.

基本上會和不抽菸的人一樣。

There’s no point pretending this is all easy to achieve.

沒必要假裝這是很容易達成的。

Quitting can lead to anxiety and depression,

戒菸會導致焦慮和憂鬱，

resulting from nicotine withdrawal.

造成尼古丁戒斷。

But fortunately, such effects are usually temporary.

但，幸運的是 這些影響通常是暫時的。

And quitting is getting easier, thanks to a growing arsenal of tools.

現在也有越來越多工具 讓戒菸變得更容易。

Nicotine replacement therapy through gum,

尼古丁取代療法用口香糖、

skin patches,

皮膚貼片、

lozenges,

錠劑，還有噴劑，

and sprays

may help wean smokers off cigarettes.

都可能協助抽菸者戒菸。

They work by stimulating nicotine receptors in the brain

這些工具的作用是刺激 大腦中的尼古丁接收器，

and thus preventing withdrawal symptoms,

因而避免戒斷症狀發生，

without the addition of other harmful chemicals.

且不需要用到其他有害的化學物質。

Counselling and support groups,

諮詢和支持小組、

cognitive behavioral therapy,

認知行為療法，

and moderate intensity exercise

以及適當強度的運動，

also help smokers stay cigarette-free.

也能協助抽菸者不去碰香菸。

That’s good news,

那是好消息，

since quitting puts you and your body on the path back to health.

因為戒菸能讓你 和你的身體越來越健康。