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The Connection Between Vaping and Joint Pain

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Posted: Sep 6, 2019 | by admin | 0 Comment

beautiful-beauty-e-cigarette-1930678If you smoke, and want to quit, any day is a great to begin. Whether you have smoked regularly for a short time or for years, completing a full day without a cigarette offers healthful benefits to your body. You lower the risk for heart attack, and your oxygen levels significantly improve. Getting to this point can prove challenging, however, leading some smokers to use alternatives to wean off cigarettes instead of going “cold turkey.”

Vaping, inhaling vapor through an electronic cigarette or similar device, has increased in popularity among smokers trying to quit. It’s also become popular among younger people who may have never smoked actual cigarettes – the 2017 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported that over 11 percent of high schoolers have tried some type of e-cigarette. (Source: Truth Initiative) While some view vaping as less harmful than smoking, it doesn’t necessarily mean vaping is risk-free, especially where joint pain is concerned.

Vape cartridges, like traditional cigarettes, contain nicotine. Combined with other chemicals and artificial flavors, the nicotine is heated and inhaled as a vapor. Like with regular cigarettes, the act of vaping releases dopamine into the system which produces a good feeling – that satisfaction as highlighted in cigarette marketing in the past. Initially, a person who vapes may feel a brief respite from discomfort, but over time vaping can lead to bigger problems.

The more one smokes or vapes, the slower the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Cleveland Clinic suggests that consumption of nicotine will worsen pain over time, particularly in places where blood has difficulty reaching. 

It is possible, too, to feel pain while quitting. It’s a sensation that can improve, however, by replacing smoking habits with healthier activities. At Bon Secours Virginia Orthopaedic & Spine Specialists, our physicians and staff can answer questions about lifestyle habits as related to your joint pain. Contact us today to learn more about the procedures and therapies we offer to help manage your pain.

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