Vaping and Lung Health: Separating Facts from Fiction

E-cigs are emerging in popularity. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not thoroughly investigated vaping impacts on lung health. While many facts about vaping and lung health are still to be determined, the authorities are pretty concerned about the growing evidence about the effects of e-cigs on consumers’ health.

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What Happens When You Inhale Harmful Chemicals?

Did you know that gulping harmful elements can lead to permanent lung damage? According to a study in early 2018 by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine vaping damages health. The e-cigs comprise possibly toxic substances. And the young people who vape frequently are at a higher risk of cough, and asthma disorders.

Another research conducted by the University of Caroline highlighted that two main elements in the e-juices i.e. propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin are toxic in nature. And the greater the quantity, the more it can harm your health. Moreover, in the vaporization of e-liquids, many dangerous chemicals are emitted. Examples include acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. All these substances have the potential to damage your heart and lungs. Else, the element acrolein (found in e-cigs) can kill weeds. Hence, it can easily cause severe lung damage, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, and lung cancer.

While direct inhalation of e-cigs is harmful, the second-hand vapor can also cause health damage. As per the US Surgeon and the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine when secondhand e-cig vapor enters the body it can harm the respiratory tract. The reason is that second-hand emission comprises hazardous health chemicals including nicotine, flavorings like diacetyl, the volatile organic compound (present in car emissions), and heavy metal particles (like nickel, tin, and lead). These all can be a source of acute lung diseases.

Further More FDA has not endorsed e-cigs as a safe alternative to smoking. So, if you wish to quit smoking, you should consult your doctor for this and prefer to use FDA-endorsed treatments and counseling.

What Are the Facts About Vaping?

Many people believe that e-cigs are safer than regular smoking, but you will surely reconsider your belief after you learn about some alarming facts:

How Vaping Will Affect Your Respiratory Organ?

With the continued use of e-cigs, you are more vulnerable to a number of lung diseases such as:

Bronchiolitis Obliterans (BO)

Bronchiolitis Obliterans (BO) happens when your lung’s air sacs are damaged. It is also named popcorn lungs because it was discovered when the popcorn manufacturing unit’s workers started getting ill. And the reason was the diacetyl, a food additive that helps to enrich the butter flavoring in microwave popcorn. And this element is commonly found in e-liquids that enhance taste. So, when you consume diacetyl, it may cause inflammation and irreversible damage to the lung’s air passages. Hence, you would experience coughing, wheezing, chest pain, and breathing difficulty.   

Lipiod Pneumonia

As you would know that pneumonia is caused as a result of infection, however, lipoid pneumonia happens when fatty acids penetrate your lung passage. So, when you inhale e-liquid, the oily substances in it inflame your lungs, and you may experience chronic coughing, difficulty breathing, and bloody mucus discharge.  

Collapsed Lungs

Collapsed Lungs, also known as primary spontaneous pneumothorax, develop when there is a hole in your lungs which serves as an outlet from where oxygen escapes. It usually happens due to a physical injury, however, vaping can cause the blisters in your lungs (developed due to rapid growth) to burst and cause a lung collapse. Hence, you may experience intense chest or shoulder pain, and difficulty breathing.

Can Vaping Be a Cause of Lung Cancer?

Now that you know that vaping allows many harmful chemicals to enter your body via the lungs, whether it can cause cancer or not is still a question. Some experts are of the view that as smoking tobacco causes minute chemical particles to line into the bronchial cavities and cause cancer, vaping can also have the same effect.

Why is Second-Hand Vapor Harmful?

It’s a myth that e-cig’s second-hand vapor is harmless to health. You may think second-hand vapor is pure water, but the facts differ. Investigation shows that e-cig’s second-hand vapor may comprise nicotine, superfine particles, benzene, and diacetyl. All these chemicals are highly hazardous to health and a potential source of lung diseases.

What You Should Do If You Experience a Lung Problem?

If you are a regular smoker or a vaping enthusiast, you should consider any lung issue as serious. If you experience any breathing problem, chronic cough, or shortness of breath, you should immediately consult your doctor for expert advice.

Conclusion

Now, why are people increasingly getting attracted to vaping? Unlike cigarette smoking, you can easily modify your intake. Vaping allows you to regulate your nicotine levels, opt for a variety of e-juice flavors, and enjoy as you like. People feel that they can be cool and follow trends while keeping their health safe. However, the reality is that even if they opt for a zero-nicotine e-juice, they are allowing chemicals into the body. And feeding your body continuously with these chemicals can cause permanent health damage in the long run.