Is Vaping Bad for You?

Vapes or e-cigarettes are gaining popularity fast! I have heard many people saying that they started vaping to quit smoking. There are also people who were never a smoker but are now hooked to vaping. However, the question is – Is vaping bad for you? Can a person get a heart or lungs disease from vaping? Is there a possibility that even vaping can cause cancer?

You will get all the answers in this article. This article will help you understand how the whole idea of vaping works, what it is, and finally is it safe for you or not. With a sound understanding and knowledge of it, you can decide for yourself whether you can start or continue vaping?

• cigarettes are used for vaping, and the reason behind their rising popularity is the marketing strategy, which promotes them as a substitute for smoking. There are more than a hundred brands that market their brand of e-cigarettes as an alternate option to get smokers their nicotine fix and without any danger or risk associated with smoking cigarettes. That encouraged a large number of people to take up vaping as a replacement for cigarettes.
• E-cigarettes and cigarettes have the most important thing in common, and that is nicotine. E-cigarettes have nicotine as well, and they presented in various flavors most of the time.

There are a lot of research and studies going on conducted by various public health experts to understand the side effects of vaping. So far, the results that were achieved were not conclusive. That means that there is no solid conclusion that vaping is good or bad for you.

However, that didn’t affect the rising number of Vape Shops opening up almost everywhere. In most countries, vapes are sold only to those who are above 18. Interestingly, in a few countries, a person has to show his or her ID proof to buy them if he or she is less than 27 years of age! Although, there isn’t any evidence that vapes are harmful or not, there are many studies which do not advise vaping.

What Are they?

Vapes are also called E-cigarettes. The e-cigarettes are devices that are operated by batteries, which usually look like normal and real cigarettes or sometimes a pen. There are e-cigarettes that you can keep refilling, and you will just have to buy the device once. An e-cigarette with a refillable tank looks a little different than the other type. E-cigarettes offer another advantage over cigarettes; it doesn’t smell for long, and since they come with various flavors, the smell is not unsettling or pungent. Every e-cigarette works in the same and basic way. Have a look at how they work:

An e-cigarette comes with a container, which is filled with liquid. The liquid is usually composed of flavors, chemicals, and most importantly, nicotine.

The e-cigarettes also have a device that heats up the flavor inside and that turns the liquid into a vape, which the user inhales when he or she takes a drag.

Can vape affect your health?

There are studies that confirmed that vaping could have side-effects to the body because of the liquid that e-cigarettes contain. According to a study published in the “Springer Link” by Audrey Darville, e-cigarettes contain aldehydes, oxidizing agents, and particulates with nicotine. When a person inhales the vapor, the aerosols can affect the person’s circulatory system and heart.

In the year 2018, a report from NAP (National Academics Press) stated that vaping results in an increased heart rate. Further, the authors also pointed out that when a person is vaping, the blood pressure increases as well.

However, not all study proved or stated that vaping is bad. A recent study, conducted in 2019, surveyed almost 4,50,000 participants, and the survey found out that there was no remarkable association or connection between heart diseases and vaping! The study, however, said that people who smoke bot e-cigarettes and cigarettes could get a heart disease

In 2018, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a study which said that vaping can affect the circulatory system and heart, and can increase the risk of heart attacks. Although there are studies and surveys that said that vaping could be harmful, it is still believed to be less harmful than smoking conventional cigarettes.

What do studies say?

The above studies were conducted to get a definitive answer to the burning question right now – Is vaping bad for you? Some said it’s harmful; some said it’s not harmful. However, there were more studies and research that were done on it. Here are a few more:

In a study published on the website of Plos one, the effects of vaping were tested on the lung cells of mice and human. The researchers noticed adverse effects such as inflammation, oxidation, and toxicity. The effects were similar on both the lung cells in mice as well as human. The conclusion the researchers drew was that vaping has harmful effects.

In another study conducted in 2018, by BMC (Biomed Central), the researchers observed ten people who never smoked cigarettes right after vaping. They concluded vaping, with or without nicotine, can disrupt the normal function of lungs.

However, another study proved something positive. In a study conducted in 2017, published in the website called nature.com, the researchers proved that there could be no significant symptoms or adverse effects on the lungs with vaping.

In another interesting study done in the year 2018, published on the website of Plos one, the researchers stated that vaping could result in teeth damage. They said that e-cigarettes have aerosol that can make the surface of the teeth more prone to bacteria! There are a few more studies that said that vaping could lead to gum inflammation and affect oral health.

Conclusion

There cannot be a definitive answer to that as many studies and research showed different results. There are, however, other factors too, that should be taken into account, such as your smoking history if you still smoke with vaping or not, and your immune system.

But after going through the studies and research, we can draw one conclusion, and that is vaping is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes. So, if you compare cigarette smoking with vaping; vaping is safer comparatively!