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How Does Vaping Damage Your Lungs?

Dec 15, 2022 | Blog

Vaping, or using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), is inhaling vapors produced by heating a liquid. This concoction usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals. Many people use it as an alternative to tobacco-based cigs, but what’s the truth? Is vaping safe? What does vaping do to your lungs?

What Does Vaping Do to Your Lungs?

Vaping has several side effects on the lungs. Studies show that using e-cigarettes inflames the lungs and damages cells that line your airways.

Moreover, vaping makes your lungs prone to respiratory infections, like pneumonia, and may increase the risk of lung cancer too.

What Happens When You Vape?

While vaping, you inhale a steamy condensate from an electronic cigarette or another vaping device. It does so by heating a liquid consisting of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals.

The blood absorbs that vapor through the lungs and carries it to the brain and other parts. Nicotine in the smoke stimulates your brain to create a feeling of pleasure or relaxation.

Vaping and Popcorn Lungs, What’s The Link?

“Popcorn lung” describes bronchiolitis obliterans – a serious, irreversible lung disease that shows up via coughing, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing.

It causes inflammation and scarring of the small airways of your lungs, which narrows airways resulting in inadequate transport of oxygen into the bloodstream.

Some studies have found that the vapor of e-cigarettes has diacetyl. It is a chemical often used as a flavor additive in liquids. Diacetyl is linked to popcorn lungs in people who have inhaled it.

Can Vaping Cause Lung Cancer?

Vaping exposes you to various harmful components, such as nicotine, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds, related to an increased risk of cancer.

Moreover, you should know that the condensate of vaping contains many potentially harmful substances that are not found in traditional cigarettes. For example, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.

Vaping vs. Smoking

Both vaping and smoking have substances that are burnt to produce the effect. However, there are some key differences between the two:

Composition: The substances inhaled while vaping and smoking are different. Cigarettes contain a mix of around 7,000 chemicals, which are toxic and cause cancer.

Whereas vapor by e-cigarettes typically contains lesser harmful substances but still contains toxic substances, like nicotine, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds.

Health risks: Smoking is a major cause of preventable diseases, such as lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease.

Secondhand smoke: Traditional smoking produces secondhand smoke. (the smoke exhaled by a smoker or from the burning end of a cigarette).

Secondhand smoke has those components filtered for the actual consumer, and it can harm those exposed passively to it.

On the contrary, e-cigarettes do not produce secondhand smoke to start passive smoking trouble but produce secondhand vapor, which may contain potentially harmful substances.

Final Words

Overall, it is clear that both vaping and smoking can negatively affect health. You must know that many potential hazards are involved. Plan to quit today; take help from our pulmonologist from Pulmonary Medical Consultants by calling (281) 357-1300 if you have respiratory issues.

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