Vaping is trendy, but it’s also dangerous.
The percentage of adults who use electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, has doubled in the last three years. This growing market is fueled by the myth that it’s a “safe” alternative to smoking. But while it took decades to uncover the true cost of cigarettes, the health risks of vaping are already coming to light.
Don’t let the popularity fool you, vaping is dangerous and addicting. Luckily, some of the benefits of quitting can happen in just a few days. Read on to learn the hidden dangers of vaping and how to quit.
E-cigarettes may have many different looks, names or forms. Most vapes have a mouthpiece, cartridge (disposable or refillable), heating element that transforms the liquid into vapor, and are battery operated.
This inhalation process is what we call “vaping.” The term “vaping” is often used to describe inhaling cannabis as well.
Is there such a thing as FDA-approved vapes?
Not exactly. Vapes are regulated, not approved. The FDA oversees how they are sold, but it has actually banned or denied authorization for many products, especially those with non-tobacco flavors or that target youth.
E-cigarette aerosol is more than just “water vapor” and can contain harmful and potentially dangerous substances including:
● Cancer-causing chemicals
● Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead
● Tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into your lungs
● Flavoring chemicals such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease
These substances can be found in both nicotine and non-nicotine vapes. Is nicotine bad for you? Yes, nicotine is a highly addictive chemical that delays brain development and causes other types of organ damage. Regardless if you get your nicotine from smoking cigarettes or vaping, it has the same negative effects.
Consistent and long-term vaping can cause a range of health issues that primarily affect your lungs, brain, and heart.
Lungs
Vaping has been linked to serious lung diseases, including popcorn lung, and EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Associated Lung Injury). These result from inhaling chemicals that may be present in vaping products, like diacetyl or vitamin E acetate. Vapers can also suffer from lipoid pneumonia, collapsed lung, and more. Vaping can also make breathing more difficult by damaging your airways, causing chronic inflammation and scarring.
Brain
Over time, nicotine usage can cause serious mental health concerns. Negative impacts of nicotine usage on the brain include nicotine addiction, and worsening anxiety and depression symptoms. Nicotine is also known to hijack the brain’s reward pathways, making it harder to feel pleasure or focus without it.
Heart
The American Heart Association warns that vaping raises your blood pressure and increases nicotine levels in your bloodstream, which narrows your blood vessels and affects your blood flow and heart rate. Studies also show that people who vape regularly are 19% more likely to develop heart failure.
The information above may sound overwhelming, but this damage to your health can be stopped – and in many cases, reversed – once you stop vaping for good. Some benefits of quitting vaping begin in a matter of days.
Here’s how to take back control:
You can do this!
If you currently are experiencing any health concerns, including those that may be caused by vaping, vybe urgent care is open 7 days a week with extended hours. Our caring clinicians can treat unexpected illnesses and injuries, provide lab tests and screenings, perform physical exams, and so much more. Walk in or schedule an appointment today!
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