Our behaviors affect our overall health. What we eat, how much we exercise, and whether we smoke or vape contribute to our overall health. Many health conditions, including smoking, make covid-19 more dangerous. Others include copd, asthma and lung diseases. The fda says smoking also suppresses the immune system and increases the risk of respiratory infections. Covid-19 is a respiratory infection that attacks the lungs. Anything you can do to keep your lungs and immune system healthy could help you avoid the worst effects of any respiratory disease. You can immediately improve your health when you quit smoking or vaping.

By now, it seems pretty clear that using e-cigarettes, or vaping, is bad for your lungs. But research about exactly how vaping affects the lungs is in the initial stages, says johns hopkins lung cancer surgeon stephen broderick. “in the last 24 to 36 months, i’ve seen an explosive uptick of patients who vape,” reports broderick. “with tobacco, we have six decades of rigorous studies to show which of the 7,000 chemicals inhaled during smoking impact the lungs. But with vaping, we simply don’t know the short- or long-term effects yet and which e-cigarette components are to blame. ”although there’s no definitive answer at this point, experts do have a theory about how vaping harms lungs.

Medically reviewed by thomas johnson, pa-c — by karen veazey on may 10, 2023 vaping devices, also known as electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or vapes, heat liquid into an aerosol for inhalation into the lungs. Although some people may consider vaping a better alternative to smoking, it can still lead to lung damage. According to a 2018 study, over 7,700 e-liquid flavors were available that year from more than 1,200 vendors in the united states. When the chemicals in e-liquids aerosolize, or convert into a fine spray, they can affect cells, altering cell growth and causing inflammation, among other changes. This article examines what lung damage vaping can cause, whether secondhand vaping is safer, when to contact a doctor, and frequently asked questions about vaping.

Vaping and lung cancer

E-liquid, also called e-juice or vape juice, is what vaping devices use to make the vapor you breathe in. E-liquids aren’t just water. They usually contain: flavoring. Each flavoring has its own set of ingredients. Nicotine, the addictive and harmful substance in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Propylene glycol and glycerin, used to create vapor. E-liquids and flavorings sometimes have other ingredients, including: chemicals that can cause cancer ( carcinogens ), like acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. Chemicals known to cause lung disease, such as acrolein, diacetyl and diethylene glycol. Thc (tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical in marijuana that gets you “high. ”vitamin e acetate, linked to lung injury caused by vaping (evali, see below).

Vaping, as explained above , involves the inhalation of a number of chemicals and elements found in the vaping liquid or wax or created when the vaping liquid or wax is heated. Stephen broderick, johns hopkins lung cancer surgeon, says “by now, it seems pretty clear that using e-cigarettes, or vaping, is bad for your lungs. In the last 24 to 36 months, i’ve seen an explosive uptick of patients who vape… we simply don’t know the short- or long-term effects yet and which e-cigarette components are to blame. ’ 21 in january 2018, the national academies of science, engineering and medicine released a consensus study report that reviewed over 800 different studies and concluded that e-cigarettes [vaping] causes health risks 4.

Can the lungs heal from vaping?

Any time we breathe in anything, other than medication or fresh air into our lungs, there is a potential to cause harm. Vaping is no different. We are still collecting more research to fully understand the long-term health effects to inform canadians. But at this point, we do already know that there is harm connected to vaping. Nicotine dependence: vaping products contain large amounts of nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. For instance, 1 juul pod (juul is one brand name of a vaping product) has the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes (approximately one pack). This means people may develop dependence quickly and it may even increase your chances of smoking traditional cigarettes.

There is still little research on vaporization of marijuana , but initial studies confirm that it has better effect on lung health compared to smoking, because vaping significantly reduces the level of carcinogenic toxins inhaled. This means that it looks like much safer alternative to smoking based on early research.

Many people are under the misperception that vaping is safer than tobacco products. Vape cigarettes are still harmful, even though they don't contain tobacco. Hart explains, “while it’s true that e-cigarettes don’t contain the tobacco found in traditional cigarettes, the other ingredients found in vape liquid more than make up for tobacco’s absence. Plus, many e-cigarettes contain more nicotine than regular cigarettes which makes them a terrible 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 done. “regular cigarettes can cause lung cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other diseases.