New Delhi: Vaping and smoking both involve inhaling nicotine and other substances into the lungs. Vaping, which is considered an e-cigarette is often considered safer than cigarette smoking, but actually, it is not. The health problems caused by vaping are almost equivalent to those caused by cigarette smoking. Both vaping and smoking are addictive and introduce potentially dangerous chemicals into the body, posing a health hazard to the respiratory tract. The only difference is that the levels of many chemicals are higher when tobacco is burned compared to vaping. However, considering vaping as less dangerous than cigarettes is not accurate. We have seen cases where people develop the same health problems from vaping as cigarette smokers do.
Dr. Davinder Kundra, Consultant – Pulmonology, Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, New Delhi, in an interaction with News9Live, explained the negative effects of vaping on the lungs.
The particles inhaled during vaping can cause airway inflammation, leading to swelling and irritation in the lungs. This can cause lung damage, such as scarring and narrowing of the airways, which may block airflow and result in breathlessness, wheezing, and coughing. People who vape regularly may develop asthma, COPD, or other obstructive airway diseases. Another myth about vaping is that it is just water vapor, which it is not. Vaping creates an aerosol that contains small particles of nicotine, metals, and other harmful substances. These aerosols can contain carcinogenic chemicals like acrolein or formaldehyde, which may lead to lung cancer. So, claiming that vaping won’t cause lung cancer is incorrect.
Vaping can cause lung cancer because it contains carcinogenic elements. Another misconception is that vaping doesn’t cause addiction. Addiction is caused by nicotine in both cigarettes and vapes, so people can become addicted to vaping. Some believe vaping has no harmful effects, but regular use can lead to asthma or exacerbate existing asthma symptoms.
Vaping can lead to lung scarring, breathlessness, and impaired immunity, affecting not just the lungs but also other organs like the heart and brain. Nicotine can harm brain development, raise blood pressure, and narrow arteries. Even individuals who don’t vape but are exposed to second-hand vape smoke can experience health issues from the chemicals exhaled by those who vape.
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