Vaping refers to the act of inhaling vapour from an e-cigarette or a “vape”.
The person will inhale vapour instead of smoke through a battery-powered vaporiser.
Oftentimes, these vapes come in different flavours, and are sold and marketed under a range of different brands and tastes.
They also come in different levels of strength when it comes to nicotine, and chemical ingredients vary from one e-cigarette type to another.
Vaping, similar to smoking, involves inhaling a substance which has been heated up.
Vaping is also often used by people in order to stop smoking, however, studies reveal conflicting data about whether or not vaping is “better” or “safer” than smoking cigarettes.
This is because while nicotine is highly addictive, cigarettes have a range of other harmful chemicals in them, which makes people adopt vaping as a form to cope with their nicotine addiction in a potentially less harmful way.
The reason why it is considered to be a “healthier” or less harmful alternative to smoking is that vaping means that people do not ingest certain harmful carcinogens, which can not only cause cancer in smokers but is the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths [1] according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, many smokers are already suffering from a nicotine addiction, they turn towards e-cigarettes in order to satiate their existing nicotine addiction, as vaping still gives them the “high” from nicotine.
While it is potentially less harmful than smoking cigarettes, it is still problematic and poses adverse health effects.
Additionally, e-cigarettes often have a higher nicotine content than cigarettes, which can intensify addiction levels.
Research from the John Hopkins University suggests that there are over 2,000 chemicals in most vapes, [2] many of which are unidentified and can be incredibly harmful to our lungs and other organs in the body.
These chemicals – which were undisclosed by vape manufacturing companies – mean that scientists cannot determine with authority whether vaping is better than smoking cigarettes.
Furthermore, some studies have shown that vaping or e-cigarette consumption causes similar adverse effects on cardiovascular and lung health as cigarettes do.[3]
While studies aren’t definitive as to whether vaping will cause cancer, studies show that there is a high likelihood [4] that long-term and consistent vaping can cause cancer.
This is because of the presence of carcinogenic chemicals in e-cigarette liquids.
While it is thought by some that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes, it can still cause a range of adverse effects in the short-term and the long term, both physical and psychological.
Some of the most common forms of physical and psychological symptoms someone who vapes will experience include but are not limited to:
One of the most apparent effects of vaping is lung damage and asthma. [5]
Studies show that certain brands or flavours of vaping contain acrolein, which is a herbicide that is often used to kill weeds.
As you would expect, these chemicals are highly toxic, and consistently inhaling this by vaping will eventually lead to lung damage, [6] which may develop into asthma or even lung cancer.
Other chemicals in e-cigarettes include diacetyl and formaldehyde.
Diacetyl is a food additive used to enrich e-cigarettes, however, this can damage small airways in the lungs.
This can lead to bronchiolitis obliterans (BO), also referred to as “popcorn lung”, due to chronic inflammation and scarring of the lung.
Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical which can lead to not only lung damage and lung disease but also cardiovascular disease.
The FDA – Food & Drug Administration – also reported a significant link between lung injuries and even complications which lead to death [7] due to e-cigarette consumption.
There is also a strong correlation between using e-cigarettes with illnesses such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Asthma is a form of lung disease which is caused when the muscles around the subject’s airways are tightened due to inflammation.
While asthma is not uncommon among most demographics, it can develop into significant problems in the long run such as narrowing of bronchial tubes, anxiety, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory failure and more.
Studies show that e-cigarette users are 39% more likely to develop asthma [8] than those who do not vape or smoke.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) [9] is an inflammatory lung disease which causes blockage in the airflow, thus leading to breathing problems.
This respiratory illness can increase the risks of heart disease, lung cancer and more.
Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax – a collapsed lung – is also linked with vaping.
This is when there is a hole in the lung caused by blisters and ruptures due to smoking or vaping.
This is more common among young people who are still growing, because their lungs may be weaker due to accelerated growth.
Due to the accessibility and trend of vaping among young people, this puts them at great risk of suffering from collapsed lungs.
Studies also show the potential for lung damage from inhaling second-hand vapour.
Nicotine is the predominating chemical which is found in both many e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and it can have physical effects such as increasing blood pressure and triggering adrenaline and cortisol production.
These can lead to an increased heart rate, which then makes you more susceptible to suffering from heart attacks or stroke.
Studies from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) [10] show that vaping and e-cigarette usage have adverse effects on our blood vessels.
The study claims that those who frequently and consistently consume e-cigarettes have impaired blood vessel function, and this puts them at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
People who vaped also had blood vessels which had lower nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is used to relax and improve blood flow as well as supplying oxygen to tissues.
This can exacerbate existing lung damage issues due to vaping, and consumers may experience adverse effects in the long term which drastically diminishes their quality of life.
Nicotine is highly addictive.
Consuming nicotine, whether by vaping or smoking, will cause significant changes in the brain.
Furthermore, e-cigarettes can often contain higher quantities of nicotine.
People can even buy extra-strength cartridges in order to satiate their addictive cravings.
According to the brain disease model of addiction, the reward pathways in our brain which are responsible for us experiencing pleasure and happiness are overstimulated by addictive substances such as nicotine.
You’ll be pleased to hear that the lung can repair itself following long-term and excessive vaping or smoking.
Cells in the lung can regenerate, and studies show that the lungs demonstrate remarkable reparative capacity [11] in response to illnesses or injury such as scarring or fibrosis.
However, it is also possible that some subjects may suffer from irreversible damage depending on how severe their dependence was, their previous history of smoking and other factors.
Because vaping is a relatively new activity – whereas we have decades of studies dedicated to the effects of cigarettes – it can be hard to understand the sheer scale of its adverse effects on the body, particularly the lungs.
The timeline and how long it takes for lungs to heal after vaping will vary from person to person due to a number of factors such as how much they vape, which brands, their own physical health history, any pre-existing conditions and so on.
Studies from John Hopkins University [12] show that there aren’t specific treatments which will initiate the healing of the lungs from vaping or smoking.
Rather, subjects should just abstain from both activities and allow the lungs to regenerate and repair their cells.
However, here is what we know so far about how long it takes for your lungs and other organs to heal from vaping:
At around the 24-hour mark, those who have quit or are abstaining from vaping will experience withdrawal symptoms.
This is because there is less nicotine in their system.
Withdrawal symptoms will come in the form of headaches, insomnia, lethargy, irritability, anxiety and more.
At around the 72-hour mark, most of the nicotine content will have exited the body, and withdrawal symptoms may be at their highest for mild to moderate users of e-cigarettes.
While some of the withdrawal symptoms may manifest early, subjects may experience a greater sense of smell and taste.
This is because the harmful chemicals of vaping (such as aldehydes) affect respiratory passages and mucous membranes, thus affecting our ability to smell and taste.
The lungs will also show quick improvements in health. In the first few months of abstaining from smoking and vaping, subjects may notice that their coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing may improve.
They may produce significantly less mucus than they did when they would frequently smoke or vape, which is a sign that the lungs are improving in health.
Furthermore, other organs and areas of the body will improve in health, which will greatly benefit lung health.
Since nicotine can not only decrease blood flow to and from the heart but impact cortisol production, blood vessel function and also nitric oxide production, subjects will benefit from improved blood flow after a significant amount of time abstaining.
Additionally, lung inflammation will decrease significantly, further contributing to greater blood flow, blood vessel function, and nitric oxide production.
Nitric oxide [13] is associated with better cardiac health, reduced muscle soreness, improved muscular performance during exercise, greater sexual performance, lower blood pressure, and improved respiratory response.
The long-term benefits of abstaining from vaping and smoking include but are not limited to a great reduction in the risks of:
While these are long-term benefits, they are also benefits that are experienced as immediately as abstaining from vaping and smoking.
After several years of abstaining from nicotine and e-cigarettes and allowing the lungs to repair themselves, subjects will display similar health qualities as those who do not smoke or vape.
Abstaining from any addictive substance can be difficult, whether it is alcohol, cocaine, heroin or nicotine.
Just because nicotine is a substance which is found and accessible through many different products, does not make it any less addictive.
If you are suffering from a substance addiction, you can reach out for support today.
You can contact us by dialling the number 0800 140 4690, whether you want to ask some questions, discuss the addiction recovery process, or find out what kind of treatment options are available.
Our friendly admissions officer will be at your disposal to answer any questions or concerns.
Once you are ready, we can help you complete a health assessment. This health assessment is also a preadmission assessment, and is necessary in order to undergo treatment.
This assessment simply consists of several questions about your physical and mental health, addiction history, treatment requirements and so on.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/cancerandtobacco/index.html
[2] https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/10/07/vaping-unknown-chemicals/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7348661/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9222281/
[6] https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung
[9] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/copd/symptoms-causes/syc-20353679
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4229034/
[12] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/what-does-vaping-do-to-your-lungs
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9710401/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
