It's almost impossible to walk down the street and not see fumes. Whether it's e-cigarettes, vape pens, Juuls or any number of devices designed to look like USB drives, highlighters, watches and even key chains, teens and adults are vaping in record numbers – about 1 in 20 Americans uses a vaping device. And while their packaging – and even their aroma – may seem innocuous, they hide a very real and significant health risk for those who choose to vape and the people around them.
What is vaping?
Michele Hart, respiratory nurse atBaystate longrehabilitatie, points out that vaping coats the lungs not only with vapor, but also with harmful chemicals.
“Vaping involves inhaling a vapor produced by an e-cigarette device deeply into your lungs. Vaping devices contain an oil, often called vape juice, to which nicotine and a number of potentially harmful chemicals have been added to enhance flavor or create a create a certain aroma, such as sugar cane or blueberry. Vape liquids can cause irreversible damage to the lungs and other parts of the body."
About 1 in 20 Americans uses a vaporizer.
What are the harmful long-term effects of vaping on your health?
Vaping only became popular around 2007, which means there is still a LOT to learn about its long-term effects. But when it comes to the short-term health risks, there's plenty to worry about.
Much of the concern surrounding vaping revolves around vape juice. Hart explains, “Vitamin E is often used as a base for vape juice. People hear 'vitamin' and assume it's safe. And while vitamin E is safe when taken as an oral supplement or even in lotion, It's not really meant to be heated and inhaled and found in the lungs of people with serious vapor-related injuries."
Other substances commonly used in vape juice that pose a risk when heated and inhaled include:
- Diacetyl:a food additive used to improve taste can cause damage to small passages in the lungs, known as popcorn lung
- Formaldehyde:a toxic chemical can cause lung disease and contribute to heart disease
- Acroleïne:an herbicide used primarily to kill weeds can cause irreversible lung damage
- Propylene glycol:a common food additive; also used to make things like antifreeze, paint thinner, and artificial smoke in fog machines
- Benzene:a volatile organic compound (VOC) found in car exhaust
- Diethyleenglycol:a toxic chemical used in antifreeze that has been linked to lung disease
- Nicotine:a highly addictive substance that negatively affects adolescent brain development
While researchers have been able to identify the chemicals mentioned above and the damage they cause, there are literally thousands more to analyze.A recently published dissertationthe journal Chemical Research and Toxicology cited a study in which vape researchers found nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which remain unidentified. The potential damage they cause is also unknown.
Vitamin E is often used as a base for vape juice. People hear "vitamin" and assume it's safe.
What vaping does to your lungs
Vaping has been linked to several lung diseases, including:
Popcorn fallout
Another name for bronchiolitis obliterans (BO), popcorn lung, occurs when the small airways of the lungs are damaged. It was first identified in a popcorn factory and traced to diacetyl, an additive used to simulate the butter flavor in microwave popcorn.
Diacetyl is often added to flavored e-liquid to improve the taste. Inhalation of diacetyl causes inflammation and can lead to permanent scarring in the smallest branches of the airways, making breathing difficult. Patients often complain of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain. There is no treatment for popcorn lung, but symptoms can often be controlled.
Lipoid pneumonia
Inhaling the oily substances in e-liquid can cause an inflammatory response in the lungs, which can lead to lipoid pneumonia. Symptoms include chronic cough, shortness of breath and coughing up blood. It is possible to recover from vaping-related lipoid pneumonia, with the most important step being to stop vaping immediately.
A study found nearly 2,000 chemicals, the vast majority of which have not been identified.
Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
A collapsed lung occurs when there is a hole in the lung through which oxygen escapes. Holes can be caused by injuries or when air bubbles (vesicles) at the top of the lung burst and cause small tears. Air bladders are often found in tall, thin people who have gone through a period of rapid growth during adolescence. The accelerated growth can cause a weak point to blister and develop at the top of the lungs. Usually the blisters are not a problem. But both vaping and smoking increase the risk of bursting, which can lead to lung collapse. Signs of a collapsed lung include sharp pain in the chest or shoulder, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. Treating a collapsed lung may require a chest tube, surgery, and/or bed rest.
Does vaping cause lung cancer?
Vaping products are so new that scientists don't yet know whether they cause cancer. However, it is possible that they cause cancer because of all the chemicals they introduce into the lungs.
What vaping does to a developing brain
Most vaping liquids contain nicotine. Nicotine is not only highly addictive, but it also alters neurotransmitters in the brain. It has been shown to slow brain development in teens and affect memory, decision-making, concentration, self-control and mood. In some cases, nicotine can make the brain appear to have ADHD, even if there was no prior diagnosis.
Because the brain does not fully develop until age 25, young people are at particular risk for long-term side effects from nicotine exposure, including permanent impairment of impulse control.
If you smoke or vape, don't ignore pain or lung problems, including shortness of breath and chronic cough. Call your doctor and make an appointment.
What vaping does to others
Just like the vapor the vaping user inhales, the spent vapor created by a device contains the same potentially harmful chemicals. Although it is not drawn as deeply into the lungs, there is evidence that non-smokers exposed to secondhand vape aerosol absorb similar levels of nicotine as people exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke. Pregnant women, children, infants and anyone with lung disease should especially avoid exposure to used vape.
So says the Food and Drug Administrationyour pet could get nicotine poisoning, for which there is no remedy if they accidentally end up in the refills.
Is vaping healthier than smoking cigarettes?
Many people mistakenly believe that vaping is safer than tobacco products. Vape cigarettes are still harmful even if they do not contain tobacco.
Hart explains, “While it is true that e-cigarettes do not contain the tobacco found in traditional cigarettes, the other ingredients in vape liquid more than make up for the absence of tobacco. Additionally, many e-cigarettes contain more nicotine than regular cigarettes. cigarettes, making them a poor choice for anyone trying to quit smoking.”
Hart notes that a key difference between the two types of cigarettes is the immediacy of the damage. “Regular cigarettes can cause lung cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other diseases. However, these conditions typically take years, even decades, to develop. But with vaping we see lung damage developing in a much shorter time; often less than a year. Because they are so new, we really don't know what the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are, but given the serious damage done in the short term, I think it's safe to say that the long-term effects will be life-changing are."
When you're ready to quit
Just like with traditional cigarettes, it's not easy to quit vaping.
Talk to your doctor about resources, local programs, and online resources to help you quit.
