What Is Meant by Vaping?
Vaping means heating a liquid and inhaling the aerosol produced from it into the lungs. There are devices, such as e-cigarettes that heats the e-liquid or vape juice that produces vapor for inhaling that has toxic effects on the lungs.
The functional capacity of the lungs is altered during vaping. It also disrupts the respiratory system and causes various respiratory diseases. Many people think vaping does not affect the lungs as smoking does. However, vaping is not the safest alternative to smoking because vaping also has harmful effects. Vaping with e-cigarettes using nicotine or marijuana as flavors destroys the lungs. The liquid inside the battery-operated device is warmed up. At high temperatures, the liquid turns into vapor. The person inhales the vapor for nicotine flavor.
Why Are the Ingredients Considered Dangerous for Lungs?
Various ingredients are generated after heating the liquid in e-cigarettes. They are as follows;
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Nicotine - Nicotine is highly addictive, and the vapors pass through the airways to reach the lungs during inhalation. It damages the cells and tissues of the airways and lungs. If someone touches or drinks the liquid containing nicotine flavor in the e-cigarette, it can cause nicotine poisoning.
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Aromatic Ingredients - E-cigarettes contain liquid with nicotine and aromatic ingredients like candy, fruity flavor, and cinnamaldehyde. Marijuana contains substances that cause psychological disorders. These ingredients are dissolved in an oily base. When the oil is vaporized, the elements reach the lungs and cause an inflammatory reaction.
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Vitamin-E Acetate - Vitamin E acetate is used as a thickening agent in the liquids of e-cigarettes. Oral vitamin E supplements and vitamin E used for skin nourishment are safe. However, inhalation of vitamin E is considered an irritant to the lung cells.
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Diacetyl - It is commonly called a food additive. It is used to enhance the taste of the liquid in e-cigarettes. During inhalation, these small chemical particles get lodged in the alveoli and destroy the small airways.
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Formaldehyde - The formaldehyde chemical irritates the cells in the airways. It causes cancer in the trachea (windpipe) and damages the neurons in the brain.
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Acrolein - Inhalation of acrolein irritates the lungs. It causes coughing and shortness of breath. Overuse of inhalational acrolein accumulates the mucus in the lungs. Eventually, it leads to pulmonary edema and results in permanent lung damage.
What Are the Symptoms in Lungs Due to Vaping?
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Vaping coats the lungs with harmful substances.
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Nausea and vomiting are common short-term symptoms due to nicotine vaping.
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There are symptoms like difficulty in breathing and chest pain.
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Excess use of vaping fluid with or without nicotine produces chronic cough with mucus.
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The allergy and inflammation due to vaping cause wheezing.
What Are the Side Effects of Vaping on the Lungs?
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Mucus - Vaping stimulates the production of mucus by the cells in the lungs. Lungs can effectively expel mucus. However, increased production of mucus clogs the airways and produces more cough.
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Infection -Vaping damages the immune cells in the lungs. As a result, the lungs age faster and are more susceptible to respiratory infections.
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Less Airflow - Alveoli are small air passages responsible for the exchange of air in the lungs. These tiny air sacs and blood vessels are blocked by the toxic particles from vaping. So the flow of oxygen from the lungs is reduced.
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Ciliary Damages - Cilia are thin hair-like structures present in the lungs. They filter the unwanted particles during inhalation. However, vaping inhibits the functional capacity of cilia.
What Are Lung Diseases Due to Vaping?
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Asthma - Inhalation of toxic chemicals causes irreversible damage to the lungs and causes wheezing. Vaping triggers asthmatic episodes.
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder -Vaping produces mucus and blocks airflow during inhalation and exhalation. The person gasps for breath due to difficulty in breathing. Vaping worsens preexisting lung diseases.
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Chronic Bronchitis - The harmful ingredients produce inflammation in the airways. These patients are more susceptible to respiratory infections. The chronic cough is present with mucus. It lasts for more than two years.
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Emphysema - The nicotine vapor destroys the tissue in the lungs. It diminishes the functional capacity of the lungs, due to which the inhalation and exhalation process is affected.
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Lung Cancer - The risk of lung cancer in vaping is ten times more than in nonsmokers' lungs. The short term vaping produces precancerous symptoms of lung cancer. Due to inhalation during vaping, the tiny particles can easily reach the other end of the lungs.
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Lipoid Pneumonia - E-cigarettes contain oil as a base. During vaping, the oily substance (fatty acids) gets deposited in the lungs and causes inflammation along with the chronic cough. Sometimes the mucus is expelled along with the blood. This causes lipoid pneumonia.
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Bronchiolitis Obliterans - The formaldehyde particles produce scars in the air sacs. The air sacs are very small, and the inflammation causes irreversible damage to the lungs. This condition is also called popcorn lung. It leads to breathing difficulty.
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EVALI (E-Cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury) - The organic compounds like benzene and propylene oxide inhaled during vaping irritate the lung tissue and damage both the lungs.
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Pneumothorax - Vaping collapses the lungs and causes primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The chemicals rupture the air cells lining the lungs and cause tiny tears. There is a higher risk of blisters bursting due to vaping which makes the symptoms worse.
What Are the Other Harmful Health Effects of Vaping?
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Psychological Dependence - Overuse of vaping with nicotine makes the person, especially teenagers addicted and induces dependence.
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Second-Hand Vaping - The vapor produced by someone using an e-cigarette during exhalation is equally harmful as vaping. It contains ultrafine particles like benzene and diacetyl. It is often linked to an increased risk of cancer in people involved in vaping and those who are passive smokers or bystanders.
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Heart Attack -The nicotine raises blood pressure and causes hypertension (high blood pressure). The dependence on vaping increases the adrenaline, which eventually increases the heart rate. Vaping blocks the blood flow in a major artery and increases the risk of a heart attack.
Conclusion
Vaping is considered unsafe for adults, especially for teens. The recovery rate of healthy lungs depends on the frequency and duration of the e-cigarettes used earlier. Therefore, one must regularly take follow-ups with the doctor to check for the symptoms of lung disease if they are involved in vaping. Treating short-term lung disease has a high recovery rate. Many people use vaping in the cessation period of smoking, which is not advisable
