How vaping affects your health?

With the rise of vaping popularity, there are more and more questions about the effects of this activity on human health. So how does exactly vaping affect your organism? Let’s find out what researchers around the world are saying on this topic.

What is vaping?

Let’s start from the beginning and learn more about vaping itself. What is it exactly? For vaping, we need two elements – a vaping device such as an e-cigarette, pod system, or vape mod and e-liquid, which we also call vape juice or e-juice. Inside the device of our choice, e-liquid is then heated, and it creates a vapor which the user inhales.

What is in your vape juice?

Next, we should look more closely at the vape juices – these are the substances that we inhale, after all. In e-juices, you can find ingredients such as nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, solvents, and various flavors that are responsible for the taste of each vape juice. Of course, we know that nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and it can be harmful to one’s health. It may increase heart rate and blood pressure, lead to narrowing of arteries and ultimately even cause heart attacks. We have to remember that the biggest difference between smoking cigarettes and vaping is tobacco. The vape juices don’t have that substance, which is highly cancerous and can cause the development of many other dangerous medical conditions.

Effects vaping has on lung health

Vaping started to gain popularity, especially after 2010, and since then, researchers around the world have begun to look more closely at the implications it can have on one’s health. Some studies have shown that vaping can have a negative impact on the lungs and it can cause adverse effects on the respiratory system such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain. However, observing the negative implications on lung health will take time, and more specifically, around 20 to 30 years.

Vaping vs heart and oral health

There are signs which suggest that some e-liquid aerosols used in vaping can affect the circulatory system and the heart. We know that inhaling vape juice can increase both heart rate and blood pressure, but there’s no news on how it can affect the health of the heart in the long run. It is also speculated that vaping can have a negative impact on oral health and can increase the risk of gum inflammation, cavities, and cause irritation in the mouth, throat, and gums. We need to be aware, however, that studies concerning vaping have been conducted for just around 10 years. Compared to the amount of research on traditional cigarettes, they are still mostly in the early stages, and we have to wait for more decisive findings to learn more about its general effect on health and long-term risks.

Teenagers and vaping

One of the most troubling things seems to be the popularity of vaping among young people, especially teenagers. As reports suggest, many high school students are regular users of e-cigarettes. Of course, the vaping industry is subjected to age restrictions, and in many states, it’s illegal to sell such products to anyone under the age of 21. However, by the rising numbers of young vapers, it seems like teens and young adults still have access to vaping products. It’s important to remember that nicotine present both in traditional cigarettes as well as certain vaping products affects brain development, which still continues in youths. What is more, it can lead to reduced impulse control, mood disorders, and, of course, the development of the addiction.